6 Scripture Passages to Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude

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6 Scripture Passages to Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude

I wish I woke up each morning with an attitude of gratitude. But the truth is: I tend to approach life focused on what’s wrong and undone. I’m often anxious about the unknowns lurking around the corner.

Instead of lips full or praise, I run to God babbling a litany of requests for certainty, assurances, and utterances of “Please fix it now, Jesus.”

And while our good Father welcomes our pleas, He also desires us to walk through life with grateful hearts and joyful minds (Col. 3:15-17).

Yet, when we experience a health crisis, rejection, or any sort of grief, it’s hard to….

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3 Steps to Gain Hope in Life’s Disappointment

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3 Steps to Gain Hope in Life’s Disappointment

Life will bring disappointment to each of us. Discouragement knocks when a valued relationship suddenly ends, we’re denied the job opportunity, or an unexpected health crisis throws us into a tailspin. I’ve endured all these things.

One particular season filled with disappointment was the long years of chronic illness I endured because of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Stripped of my independence, enduring physical pain, and watching my friends celebrate milestones that seemed impossible for me weighed heavy on my heart. 

When fall rolled around, I experienced another blow to my spirit. I was unable to return to my role as a classroom teacher.

I watched the yellow school buses drive by my house, signifying the beginning of schoolhouse festivities. Yet I sat in the same place as….

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Finding God's Presence in Clouds of Uncertainty→

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Finding God's Presence in Clouds of Uncertainty

I’m honored to have an article published in the Just Between Us Print Magazine, “Finding God’s Presence in the Clouds,”Spring 2024. You can read an excerpt below and follow the link to order to continue reading.

I wrapped the pink towel around my neck to support the weight of my head––the only answer to the screaming muscles in my weakened neck. Clumsily, I stooped to secure the leash to my yorkie’s collar and guided him down the porch steps as the screen door banged behind us. 

We slowly wound the path around the mountainside next to the rented farmhouse that I had called home for the last two years. This farmhouse was a place that represented so many fulfilled dreams––a new job that offered independence after college graduation, a life in the NC mountains, and budding friendships that solidified around its table––and it was the home I was preparing to bid goodbye.

My declining health was robbing me of the ability to support myself financially and meant that I would ….

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A Different Kind of Hunger: Fasting to Increase Our Faith→

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A Different Kind of Hunger: Fasting to Increase Our Faith

I’m honored to be a guest at Living By Design. You can read an excerpt below and follow the link to read the full article.

It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done––but I did it. I completed a 21-day Daniel Fast for the first time. 

Choosing to abstain from meat, dairy, and sugar was difficult, but it increased my faith in ways I never expected.

After a season of grief and unending trials, I felt disjointed and stagnant in my soul. My health was suffering from bad food choices and a lack of discipline. 

Along with that, I was praying some big prayers––for the healing of a loved one, direction in my writing ministry, and salvation for lost family members. 

One day, kneeling with my forehead resting on my Bible, the Spirit …

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When It's Difficult to Praise God

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When It's Difficult to Praise God

I’m honored to be a guest on Hosanna Revival’s WHEN blog. You can read an excerpt below and follow the link to read the full devotion.

When seasons of darkness linger, it can be difficult to raise our voices in hallelujahs. 

My own darkness came during a long season of physical and emotional pain brought on by chronic illness. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome both robbed me of the ability to care for myself beyond my basic needs. And with my husband’s job keeping him out of town more than at home, I found myself alone for days on end.

On one particularly tough day, after seven days and six long nights alone, I felt the taupe walls of my living room closing in on me. With tears streaming, I cried out to God, “Lord, please help me.” A hush filled the room as I heard the Spirit whisper to my heart, “Praise me here.”

Immediately recalling the story of Paul and Silas’ time in prison, I opened the pages of my Bible to read. After being beaten by a mob, Paul and Silas were thrown into the inner prison with their feet fastened in stocks (Acts 16:24). They were bruised, writhing in pain, stuck, and surrounded by harsh conditions.

I felt the same.

The next words I read were fresh water to my thirsty soul…

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Anchored in the Names of God || Part 4

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Anchored in the Names of God || Part 4

Today, we are wrapping up the series on the names of God. I pray that your heart, like mine, is securely anchored to our Lord and Savior as we become more intimately acquainted with Him.

Although we have not exhausted the list of names for God found in Scripture, this series has reminded me that no matter the circumstance or need that I have, our Father is in it, working through it, and supplying it. I pray that discovering His names does the same for you.

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Anchored in the Names of God || Part 3

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Anchored in the Names of God || Part 3

It’s such a blessing to continue our series on the Names of God. My heart is filled with great hope, joy, and peace as we study––and become intimate with––the God we serve. It is my prayer that it does the same for you.

This week we are getting to know God as Jehovah Nissi: The Lord Our Banner, Jehovah Shalom: The Lord Is Peace, Jehovah Rohi: The Lord My Shepherd, and Abba: Father. Now let’s dive into Part 3 and anchor our souls to our Great & Mighty God!

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Anchored in the Names of God || Part 2

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Anchored in the Names of God || Part 2

Today, we are continuing our series on the names of God. If you missed the Anchored in the Names of God Part 1, you can find it here. Thank you for joining me in this series.

It is my prayer that we experience more of God’s presence as He reveals Himself to us through the His names found in Scripture.

El Shaddai: God Almighty

When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and multiply you greatly.”

Genesis 17:1-2 ESV

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The Way of a Satisfied Life

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The Way of a Satisfied Life

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, 

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21 ESV 

“Surprise!” My mother’s kind blue eyes and toothy grin met me as I opened the door to her home. I surveyed the room and noticed the balloons, flowers, cards, and gifts displayed throughout. And what was meant to be a celebration felt more like a memorial service to me. It was my fortieth birthday, and instead of abounding joy, I was filled with sorrow.  

You see, when I awoke that morning, all the unfulfilled plans that I had made for my life––the plans of motherhood, financial freedom, and a thriving career––slapped me in the face. Instead, my days were filled with….

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How Turning to Jesus Banishes Fear

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How Turning to Jesus Banishes Fear

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

Fear is a constant battle for me.

I heard someone say, “What you stare at becomes bigger.” I nodded in agreement. It’s hard not to feed fear when all I see are the ways a situation can go wrong. That’s when I resort to planning and manipulating in an effort to control the situation. I convince myself that it’s up to me to avoid disaster. And sometimes I will take myself out of the scenario completely. I sit on the sidelines and watch others do life, and I ultimately miss out.

When I was in grammar school, my classmates and I would regularly gather on the playground for a game of softball. I was careful to never take a position that required expertise because to say I was a terrible player is an understatement. Sauntering to the outfield, I would get out as far as possible hoping to avoid participation. But inevitably, the ball miraculously found its way straight to me.

“Catch it! Catch it!” my teammates yelled. And just when I reached for the ball, all I could focus on was how it became more and more massive upon its approach. It’s going to hit me. Land on the top of my head. Knock me out. And leave a mountain-sized lump. Thoughts swirled in my mind. And as fear overtook me, I shut my eyes and ducked out of the ball's path.

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You Can Trust the Potter's Hand

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You Can Trust the Potter's Hand

“Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.”

Jeremiah 18:6b NIV

I entered my first pottery class with nervous excitement. After carefully choosing a misshapen ball of moist clay, I heard the instructor’s directions, “You have to throw the clay hard onto the wheel to make it stick.” Hesitatingly, I dropped the clay and as soon as the wheel began to turn, the ball slid from side-to-side. It was unpliable in its present state. My foot released the pedal and the wheel slowly stopped. I reattempted my beginning. This time, I slung the clay onto the surface with force and made solid contact with the center of the wheel.

In Jeremiah, God describes Himself as the Potter and His people as the clay.

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5 Ways to Cultivate Biblical Hope

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5 Ways to Cultivate Biblical Hope

We all experience situations when it’s hard to keep hoping. What ifs? How to’s? And Why’s?, flood our minds. Visions of possible catastrophe dance before our eyes. Hope plummets with every ticking second.

I’ve learned some things through the darkest seasons that I would never know had God not allowed me to walk there. And my faith was sustained by God’s grace by putting these five things into practice.

Here are 5 ways to keep hoping when hope is waning:

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God's Memory Book

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God's Memory Book

The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance 

was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.

Malachi 3:16b ESV

One summer I spent hours sorting, cropping, gluing, and embellishing family photos that my grandmother had collected over her lifetime to compile a memory book. As my grandmother shared the stories chronicling her life, and the lives of her children and grandchildren, I carefully penned the details beside the pictures. Along with birth dates and wedding dates, it was important for her to note when each family member invited Christ into their hearts––the day they chose to fear the Lord above all else.

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12 Ways to Pray

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12 Ways to Pray

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 ESV

As I sit here mulling over all the uncertainties in my personal life, the future of those I love, our nation, and the world, I hear the Spirit whispering, “Come to me…. Come to me with your brokenness, your heartaches, your fears, your concerns, and your questions.” He is inviting me to enter His presence in prayer. If I run into the shelter of His wings, I will find solace there.

It can be difficult to know how, or what, to pray when our hearts are overwhelmed. But Christ implores us to come to Him to find all that we need. If you are struggling with praying today, here are 12 prayer prompts to inspire your prayer life, along with Bible verses to read and encourage your heart as you pray.

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Three Scriptural Prayers for Peace

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Three Scriptural Prayers for Peace

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace

at all times and in every way.

The Lord be with all of you.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV

Lord, when I look at what is going on in this world today, my heart bends to anxiety. Yet, I know You know me by name, and exactly what I am facing in my life. And You have designed my circumstances.

Help me trade my anxiousness for Your peace. Fill me with hope. Assure me You are with me, Jesus. May I hold tightly to Your promises and walk through this day with peace that is beyond understanding. My heart is Yours. In Jesus’ name Amen.

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The Hope of Resurrection

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The Hope of Resurrection

While they were talking and discussing together,

Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

Luke 24:15-16 ESV

Two men, Jesus’ disciples, are walking down a dirt road leading into the town of Emmaus. They witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross three days ago, and they just heard that His body has disappeared from the tomb where He was buried. The women told them an angel proclaimed Jesus had arisen from the dead, but they’re finding this news difficult to believe.

Heads hung low, and brokenhearted, they’re wondering how they could have gotten it so wrong. After all, when Jesus said He was the One they were waiting for––the One who came to set the captives free––they wholeheartedly believed Him. They’d sunk their hopes into His promise of a better life. But now, all those dreams have vanished, and they are filled with dismay.

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Hope in Troubling Times

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Hope in Troubling Times

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.

Psalm 138:7a (ESV)

The first daffodils are blooming here in the South with bright golden hues, and the first day of March ushered in 80-degree temperatures. Certainly, Spring is in the air, and I must say I’m welcoming it after two snow falls in January (a rarity). And just as the weather has already set records in this new year, this season in my heart revealed its own record of pain––my family has experienced another great loss.

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Replacing Lies with God's Truths

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Replacing Lies with God's Truths

Holding the crisp pages in my trembling hands, I kneeled and spread the note before the Lord. My sense of direction, peace, and joy was lost. The enemy’s whispers had become resounding. I realized the only way to regain steadiness was to go to God for answers. It was time to face the enemy’s lies that had replaced God’s truths in my life: the lies that kept me bound to fear, disappointment, and discouragement.

The paper I held so tightly contained the lies from the enemy that constantly swam in my mind. And I came to petition God for reassurance of the truth. At the Holy Spirit's prompting, I searched His Word to find out His answer to the taunts, and I replaced them with the truth.

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