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    Taking the Long Way Home

    Three weeks ago our family packed all of our belongings into the largest U-Haul we could rent and said goodbye to the only place we’d ever called home. We are certain God has called us to this new place, but driving away from all you’ve known is still hard. The last little league games, school days, and best friend goodbyes are bittersweet. Excitement mixes with sorrow as we embark on a new journey—a new way home. In the car driving away, minutes turn into hours. You remember all you’re leaving behind in the rearview mirror. You day dream about what lies ahead in a new place. You follow the twists…

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    Planet versus People, a path towards peace.

    Some of the most magnificent moments of my life have included nature. When I think about my travels around the United States and abroad, my mind rests at “Inspiration Point” in Yosemite National Park in California. I was a college student spending the summer in California, surrounded by the majesty of Lake Tahoe, but Yosemite left me breathless. I had never seen anything like the view overlooking the Yosemite Valley, aptly named, “Inspiration Point.” The mountains, the heights, the expanse, the streams; truly hard to take in all at once. When I feel overwhelmed and I long for rest, God’s gift to me is His creation. Sometimes I feel like…

  • A piece of chocolate cake on a plateDescription generated with very high confidence
    Heartprints

    You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

    We have all heard the saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” but most of us don’t really live like we believe it. There are so many areas of our life where we try to live life without any consequence. That is after all the implication. If you eat the cake now, the end consequence is that you won’t have it later. Could there be an area of greater need to believe this truth than the area of our imaginations? I think not. Imagination is a wonderful gift from God. It is the place where most of us live. Ted Dekker, in his book, The Slumber of…

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    Embracing a New Kind of New Year’s Resolution

    It keeps coming up. Like a proverbial whisper, it speaks to me from a page of a book, from a snippet of a sermon, from a passing comment from a grocery store clerk. Be present, it says.    Amidst a month that’s often marked by planning, strategizing, resolving, I’ve decided to do none of these things this year. No grandiose goals, no new year’s resolutions, no long-term plans. That's not to say I won't ever look at my calendar or think about the future. But this year, I refuse to be consumed with schedules, to-dos, or even dreams.  As women who lead in our homes, offices, and churches, our lives…

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    5 Ways to Spring Into Trusting God More

    Some days I don’t want to get out of bed.   Last week I woke up excited about life. Today? Not so much. When stuff doesn’t pan out the way I want, my outlook deteriorates quickly. Every unexpected turn brings new challenges, and then I buckle under pressure.   I have known this about myself. My closest friends have often challenged me to have more faith especially when things don’t go my way.  My husband does his best to encourage me. But as a stubborn woman, I want things to happen my way and in my timing. I tend to cling to me as opposed to Him.   So here…