‘Spiritual Growth’ Category Archive

Watch One 5 Minute Video and Understand the Whole Bible Better

We know God has a plan, but does anyone else have a hard time seeing it? If you’re struggling to trust God right now, you should check out one of my favorite videos from The Bible Project. Their videos are absolutely stunning and keep my attention every time. This one starts with several Bible stories you know – Adam and Eve, Abraham, the end times… but then it shows you how they all fit together… … Continue reading

Can’t Engage in Spiritual Disciplines? It May Not Be Your Fault.

“I don’t know what is wrong with me,” my friend Gina lamented as we enjoyed a rare afternoon cup of coffee together. “I’ve always loved my time with God, but lately I just feel antsy, like I’m being put in a timeout or something. Five minutes, and I’m done!” I’ve been hearing this kind of thing a lot lately. People feel so harried that they can hardly find space for being alone with God, and… … Continue reading

How to Keep Your Fear and Pain from Influencing Parenting

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV) As child, I was sexually violated by an adult male who… … Continue reading

The Pain of Miscarriage and the Truth to Combat It

“Miscarriage is so common, it happens all the time.” I have heard this many times in the years since my first miscarriage, and again in the weeks since my second. Yeah, I get it, this happens a lot. Does knowing this fact make it any easier? No. Does knowing this negate the horrible way I feel about it? No. Does knowing this stop the onslaught of tears at random times during the day? Nope. In… … Continue reading

Trusting God When Your Prayers Feel Unanswered

Sometimes, life doesn’t go as we’ve planned. The test results come back—and they’re not good. The relationship ends. The money doesn’t come in. Infertility lingers. The dream doesn’t come true. So what do we do when it feels like our prayers go unanswered? When the things we’ve been asking God to fix for so long remain broken or unclear? After my own twenty-year journey of praying the same prayer and not (yet) seeing it answered,… … Continue reading

How to Reverse Stinkin’ Thinkin’

Our home is a welcoming place to grandkids and granddogs alike. One day we were watching Bailey, our ten-year-old golden retriever granddog from the Waco division of Burchett Incorporated. She is a regal and beautiful girl who loves to swim. We took our Maggie and Bailey out to the pool to do just that. Maggie swims like she is competing for the final Olympic-team spot. She goes full bore to the end, jumps out, shakes… … Continue reading

3 Keys to Becoming More Productive with the Time God has Given Us

If you’re anything like me, it’s so easy to get weighed down by distractions and lose sight of what needs to be done. Productivity is important at school, in the workplace, in the home, etc. but it’s even more crucial in our relationship with Christ. Every second He has given us is time that we can spend making a difference for Him. Jesus spent the three and a half years of His ministry constantly reaching… … Continue reading

17 Ways to Pray for Your Husband in 2017

As wives, perhaps one of the most important things we have the opportunity to do in 2017 is to pray for our husband. No one knows him as closely as you do, and this offers a unique chance to come before the Lord and ask him to guide and protect your husband in a powerful way. Still, sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start or how to focus our prayers, and so, below, you’ll… … Continue reading

11 Upside-Down New Year’s Resolutions

I love New Year’s Resolutions. Writing down my wide-eyed dreams for the next 365 days gives me great hope. But then, I hate New Year’s Resolutions. Because around the middle of April I realize just how pie-in-the-sky they really were. Take my recurring annual goal, “Get Organized.” I’ve learned it’s about as easy to accomplish as shoveling snow in the middle of a blizzard. At some point it’s more realistic to toss the shovel and… … Continue reading

Love Has Come

I remember the first time I knew I was pregnant. I remember that first moment I knew that life was being shared with mine. I remember that first knowing that my breath was breathing and exhaling for another. My heartbeat was different…not just the rhythm but the reason it was beating suddenly felt different. The idea that I was carrying a being with purpose. I began to think differently. I began to eat differently. I… … Continue reading