Who is God? What is the character of God? Wow. The questions that have ran through my mind as I tried to figure out what I should share about His...
Is God Good?
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LO Library Topic:
Life Advice
Waiting: Shifting Our Perspective
Think about a diamond. What comes to mind? A precious jewel? The most beautiful of all stones? An engagement ring? A representation of love? ...
Dream Redeemer
*I just want to preface by saying that I know there are much bigger problems in the world than the issues I’ve experienced as a college athlete and...
LIE: You’re Not Ready Yet
Nearly four years after I shared my testimony for the first time, I received a message on Instagram that said, “We heard your story at your church,...
Diffuse Doubt by Defining It
Let me tell you about one Sunday morning in 2017. I was standing on the front row of our church service, singing a worship song, minutes away from...
Finding Joy in the Journey
To tell you this story about finding joy, I must give you a little background. I am a mother of two, and one of my children, my daughter, has a...
Small Habits, Big Impact
Our daily decisions and habits are more impactful than we give them credit for. Our habits can lead us closer to the Lord or farther from the Lord....
Your Father’s House
Heaven. It’s your glorious unending. Your forever home. The place your faith becomes sight. I’m so grateful we’re spending the next six weeks in...
Bloom Where You’re Planted
My friends joke that I have a “black thumb,” which is their kind way of saying plants come to my home to die. I’m guilty and will admit I’m that...
Lessons From Exodus
I have been reading through Exodus lately and in the past, I have struggled as I read about the Israelites grumbling and complaining. Like you were...
He Satisfies All Things
I’m officially in the “are you dating anyone yet” era. I was recently back home and ran into one of my old school teachers while at a local coffee...
Faithfulness Over Fame
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. —Matthew 6:33 I have chosen the way of...
Fully Devoted: Giving Christ Your All
Have you ever been in a relationship or friendship where you felt like it was all one sided? Either you feel like you are making all the effort to...
Freedom From Your Past
Happy Tuesday, friend! We're excited to share Part 1 of our newest workshop in the LO Sister App, Goodbye Hiding, Hello Freedom, with you here on...
Your Story Has A Villain
Every year, I give something up on January 1 for the duration of the year. In an effort to not be mastered by anything, I have found it is a helpful...
What Are You Anchored In?
Rejection is no stranger to the human soul. As a mother, I’ve recently seen this in my own son— starting at just eight years old—when he wasn’t...
Friendship with the Lord and the Flourishing that Follows
“Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring...
God Didn’t Choose Her
I want to dream big, but every time I begin to dream, I also begin to think of other women that are more qualified to fulfill that dream. At that...
Hope That Never Fades
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE <3 Fireworks! Balloons! Ball drop! Midnight! It’s 2025! After the excitement of New Year’s Eve winds down, there is...
The God Who Draws Near
Christmas is the answer to the deepest longings of our hearts, longings that have been carried since Eden. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us....
Name Your Fears and Embrace the Extraordinary
Remember the television show Fear Factor, where people confronted a few of their deepest fears? The show was canceled, but our fears don’t get...
Perfectly Imperfect
I dropped into my chair at the head of the table with a barely suppressed sigh of relief. The candlelight shone on the faces of beloved friends and...
The One Thing
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.” Has there ever been a time in your life where you feel...
A Liturgy For Election Day
Whatever the outcome of this election, let our citizenship and our hope be rooted first in your heavenly kingdom.
The Danger of Compromise
Recently, we posted a message that I shared at Liberty University this past winter on YouTube, but I felt that I wanted to share it here on the blog...
Be Excited for the Unknown
Is living in the unknown scary, exciting, or a mixture of both? In today’s world, we are constantly told we need a plan of where we want our lives...
A Good Jealousy
“Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do...
Follower
FOLLOWER DEFINITION: Someone that follows the opinions or teachings of another and imitates the other. As someone who grew up in a time when social...
His Pursuit Always Has Purpose
I remember one of the first children’s Christian hymns I ever learned in Sunday school. Maybe you know it, too. It goes like this: Jesus loves me,...
When Planning Takes A Detour
Plan plural noun: Plans noun: an intention or decision about what one is going to do verb: decide on and arrange in advance I know majority of us...
Why (and How) I Got Social Media Sober
Pull up a chair, friend. This might get worse before it gets better. Let’s be honest for a sec. How are you feeling about this online world? This...
Yahweh-Shalom
Hey friend! We are so excited to share that one of our very own LO Sister App members, Logan Dalton, is on the blog today! To find out more about...
You Don’t Have to Hide in Shame
Not that long ago, my life looked anything but godly. I spent my college years like a walking stereotype: the semi-goody-two-shoes Christian girl...
Truth to Overcoming Anxiety
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Now, you might look at our verse and think to yourself, Ya think I haven’t...
Ringing Reminders to Pray
The traditional function of a town’s central bell tower was to encourage residents to practice the presence of God. In AD 604 Pope Sabinian...
Finding Good Mom Friends Is Hard
We’re Not Supposed to Have Twenty “Besties” The truth is, with the demands of household and children and husbands, we’re unlikely to have the margin...
Optimizing a Season of Lost Purpose
It's that time of year again, when school finals roll around, maybe your grade goes south or you do a little better than expected but second...
An Offering Of Everything
There are so many amazing stories of faith from Genesis to Revelation, but one of my personal favorites is found in Mark 12:41-44 (also referenced...
Name What’s Hard
As a clinician and as a human, I’ve learned that my own flurry of conflicting thoughts is a sign that I need to gently slow down the pace of my...
Life Is Funny Until It’s Not
Just One Thing Folks often ask me, “How did you endure so much grief? How did you climb out of the dark?” My scientific answer is, “Medicine...
The Joy of the In-Between
DAY 6 "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."...
A Simple Life Worth Living
We pulled into the drive of our new home and I have to be honest in saying that it was a bit shocking. It’s cute but much smaller than the house we...
To the Sister Who Wants to Say YES
To: The sister who wants to say YES, but fear is whispering in her ear. “Start a Bible study in your home…Oh, I’m not sure my house is big enough.”...
When It Feels Too Heavy to Carry
“Detergent and creamer. Detergent and creamer.” I reminded myself. Not that this was something I was trying to remember and recall - it was actually...
The Hidden Years
When I was in my 20s, I almost opened a tiny art gallery and gift shop once to showcase my work in an empty loft space made available to me. It felt...
Jesus Weeps with You
John 11:32-35 “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would...
Ignoring the Limits God Created for Us
Fourteen years ago, I suffered heat stroke in sight of the finish line of a community race I’d been training to win. It was eighty degrees, with...
The Battle is Not Yours to Hold
The battle is not yours to hold. Are you in the middle of the battle of your life? Maybe it’s a health battle and you just received some life...
I Want God More Than Control
Back when we had permed hair and were twentysomething vibrant, we used to talk about how we hoped God would never send us as missionaries to Africa....
The Power of Parenting with Empathy
It is so important to let kids know that we value their feelings. This improves their sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Dr. Fay clearly remembers...
3 Things to Know Before Marriage
If you’re like us, at some point in your life, you wish you could go back in time and have a re-do at something you completely flopped in with your...
In His Time
I don’t know about you but I am definitely one of the most impatient people ever. I’m the one who leaves for a class 30 minutes early because I...
His Ways Are Better
“One of the scariest realities in life is that if you insist, God will let you do it your way.” - Louie Giglio I convinced God that my plan was...
A Good Sting Is A Good Thing
Oh how easily I attempt to avoid the "sting" of conviction for my own complacency and comfort. I think in our world of constant distraction, it's...
Don’t Stop Believing
Have you stopped believing that God could do it? Well, you’re certainly not alone. I recently just moved out of my dream apartment and I am still in...
Can’t Stop the Feeling
Let me ask you a question: Have you ever had a disproportionate emotional response to a situation that should not have affected you in such a...
WAKE UP!
Note from Team LO: We are SO excited to bring you this month's post from our LO sister member, Grace Novak! If you want to be a part of this...
The Usefulness of Lament
Adapted from Let Go of Unmet Expectations, Overcome Anxiety, and Discover Intimacy with God by Lauren and Michael McAfee Lament. This word may be an...
Overcoming Fear of the Future
Every turn of the new year can bring thoughts of the future. 2024 is going to be a year of so much change in my life, and I'm sure in many of your...
Arise and Shine
When you think about Christmas, what are some of the things you think of first? I am taking a guess here, but odds are you think about Jesus,...
What If You Don’t Feel Content?
The idea of contentment gets thrown around a lot in Christian circles. If I’m honest, sometimes I get squirmy with the word contentment. Maybe it’s...
What is the Reason for the Season?
This phrase bounces around the Christian culture this time of year. It’s the question nearly every Christmas movie silently asks as it depicts the...
Back to the Basics
“I have learned to hold all things loosely, so God will not have to pry them out of my hands.” - Corrie Ten Boom Materialism. Something I would...
A Shift in Perspective
Fear and discouragement inevitably knock on the door to my dreams. When I answer now, I politely welcome them in, acknowledge their presence, and...
The Power of “Even If”
If you are anything like me, it’s easy to worry about anything and everything! Sometimes it can be the simplest things in life, like worrying if I...
Purpose > Insecurity
Have you ever doubted or questioned the calling, purpose, or instruction God has given you? Have you ever felt crippled by insecurity, uncertainty,...
His Strength in Our Weakness
Note from Team LO: We are SO excited to bring you this month's post from our LO sister member, Lacie Berry! If you want to be a part of this...
Extending an Invite This Season
If we were sitting together right now, you would see me admiring the cheap Christmas decorations I just bought from 5 Below to decorate my apartment...
Your Circumstances Don’t Dictate Your Future
“God, what am I supposed to do?” I prayed through tears as I rocked my newborn. Fresh off the heels of a divorce, I was devastated and desperate to...
Prayer: The Opportunity to Call a Friend
My son's eyes grew wide as he fixed them on an ambulance parked outside the coffee shop where we sat. His five-year-old mind, rich with imagination,...
Growing Pains, Growing Gains
My mom often reminds me of all the times I was younger and would wake up crying in the middle of the night because of how bad my legs hurt. Nine...
Israel: How to Process It All
What do you feel when you hear about what's going on around the world? The evil, pain, and unbelievable circumstances some people find themselves in...
Immaturity Cannot Tolerate Ambiguity
Background: Elisabeth Elliot was a young missionary in Ecuador when members of a remote Amazonian indigenous people group killed her husband Jim and...
The Fruit of Trust: Obedience
I like to think obedience is God’s love language. Yes, we can love God with our words as we lavish praise upon Him, but I believe it is the yielding...
Two Ways Anxiety Affects Parents
In my thirty-plus years of counseling, I’ve never seen parents feel as much pressure or as much like failures as they do today. I’ve never had as...
3 Lessons Taken from Thailand
A few weeks ago, I had the greatest opportunity to go on my first missions trip to Thailand. I will never be the same after what the Lord has...
The Heart of God For You
We spend a lot of our energy convincing others of the love of God. In fact, for the most part, we seem to be convinced of it for others— fully...
Finding Freedom from What’s Holding You Back
Have you ever found yourself in a place where you didn’t think it was possible for you to get any more confused? It makes you feel stuck, doesn’t...
Embodied Trust
To be human is to suffer. As we will eventually see, the question is not if we each suffer. It is, rather, To what degree are we aware of it? and...
Sharing Jesus Through Servanthood
Servanthood shapes our lives in a vast number of ways. We serve others when we help meet their physical needs. We serve others when we teach them or...
The Beauty of Wandering
By the time I got to college, my struggle with the Church and my faith, like many of my Christian peers, was silent. I wasn’t crying out for help or...
Freedom in Christ
I’ve been doing my best to walk closely with the Lord for about ten years now. After identifying as a Christian for most of my life and being a...
5 Steps to Harvesting During Hardship
Hardships and life are two things that we don’t love to see paired together but ultimately are destined to happen. We can hope for a smooth road of...
Dare to Dream
Scripture tells us to count it all joy when we experience trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces...
Overcoming Father Wounds
When it comes to father wounds, the actions and deeds of a father can attach themselves to the soul of a woman for her entire lifetime. They have...
Seizing the Good Life
Accept What You Can’t Know, Act on What You Do Dear Reader, John tells a story in the ninth chapter of his book about a man who’d been blind from...
Fear is a Liar
At one of the charity auction events for which I had donated a painting, Clark and I won a bid on a trip. Our four children were still young at the...
GOOD NEWS
Let’s start with a quick poll: raise your hand if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or frustrated about something that should’ve been easy and ended up...
Make Good Use of Your Soul Wounds
“I’m afraid,” the tearful young woman told me as we sat in my car. “I know I should be grateful we were able to get pregnant, and I am. But I’m...
The Six Phases of Faith
As a pastor, I’m most often asked this question: “Why is this happening to me? I don’t understand it. I thought I was pursuing God’s dream, but now...
Listening to the Holy Spirit
I’m infamous for a few decisions at the wilderness ministry: taking the instructor staff winter camping in -30 degrees F for five days; doing snow...
Worship Is A Lifestyle
We live in an interesting time in the arc of the Church where the word worship is often used to talk about an industry, a platform, an opportunity,...
The Love We Need Most
“Love yourself.” We’ve heard this line many times. We’ve read it on decorative signs at Home Goods. We’ve sung it in popular songs on the radio....
What is Church?
What is church? How do we define it when our definitions change over time and can depend on a number of variables such as the passing of time and...
Go-Getter Girls In Your Life
“She’s who I want to be when I grow up,” I quietly whispered to myself as I hit End Call on a podcast interview with a new friend. We had a great...
When You’re Burned Out
I stared at the shower floor in shock. Dozens of long strands of hairs were swirling around the drain. What was going on? All my life, hairstylists...
Unanswered Prayer
Unanswered prayers. At least, that’s the term we use when a prayer seems to have no resonance, no evidence of heaven touching earth. In other words,...
How to Break Up With Comparison
“Stop comparing yourself to other women; including your younger self – she’s another woman.” These loving words from my husband were spoken as I was...
Escaping the Pattern of Toxic Thoughts
Have you ever heard a new phrase, song, or saying for the first time ever, and somehow over the course of the next few days or weeks you start...
What Overwhelms You?
How often do you feel overwhelmed? Does this season of life make you feel overwhelmed more times than you can count, too? Just the other day, I got...