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...
When Planning Takes A Detour
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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...
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 You’re Scared to Pray Boldly
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16b (NIV) I have to admit I'm sometimes scared to pray boldly. It's not at all...
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...
Can’t Rest, Everything Matters
Some years ago, I experienced my first significant fall with fatigue. I’d just finished the edits on my first book; my kids were eight, seven, six,...
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...
It’s Not Too Late to Heal Your Brokenness
When I was young, my Nanny told me that one day I’d have to fight for my marriage. As a little girl, it didn’t make much sense to me. I had read...
Created to Create
Comparison is the thief of happiness because it robs us of connection—connection to ourselves and connection to others. For me, the biggest trigger...
My Identity, Your Glory
I recently took my family on a vacation to New York City. When I think of the term vacation, I picture white sand beaches, sunshine, a book, and...
Truth or Toxic Thoughts?
Many times, there are things underneath the surface that keep us from having a thriving relationship. These can be the effects of a past breakup,...
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...
God Loves You!
God loves you. A phrase that some of us might feel numb towards because we have heard so much, a phrase that might feel untrue or unfathomable, a...
How To Be The Light That Ignites Hope
Early one sunny spring morning, I went downstairs from my bedroom into our kitchen to make myself some coffee. As I put the grounds in our espresso...
I Love Breakups!
I read a quote the other day that said, “What if the Lord allows us to experience human failure in heartbreak so that we can better understand His...
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...
Who Am I?
One of the very first times I remember questioning my identity was when I was only five years old. My childhood best friend and I lived in the same...
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,...
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...
Feasting on the Word of God
I was sitting in a restaurant in the Newark airport on October 7, 2023. It was a lazy travel day as I was enjoying a cheese plate and waiting for my...
The Weight of Perfection
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let...
My Heart Sings
My Heart Sings But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble,...
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...
Say I Won’t
I knew I was going to have to fight hard to figure out what God had planned for me from the day He first started to “knit me together in my mother’s...
Investing in Girls, Investing in the Future
My friend and I were reflecting over coffee. She had run a successful business, and I knew she had been generous in supporting both her church and...
At Your Side… All the Way Home
For all the busyness that marks modern life, we seem to be living in days when people don’t actually know where they’re going. Aimless—lacking...
God Never Gives Up On You
I have had my own occasions in which I’ve wrestled with God. Seems we all could account for a divine wrestling match. One of the most dramatic...
Know Better, Do Better
Have you heard the saying “Know better, do better”? It’s being thrown around like confetti wherever I look. “See this homemade foaming hand soap? It...
The Lies We Tell Ourselves
I remember the moment clearly. I was eight years old, crying under a pinball machine in my friend Kayla’s basement. As I heard her coming down the...
A New Beginning
The first time I went to my accountant to do my taxes, he said, “Congratulations! You qualify for the poverty tax credit.” “What is that?” I asked....
Three Practices to Build Resilience
Dr. Rick Hanson, professor of psychology at University of California, Berkley, argues that resilience training for your brain is like muscle...
Prioritizing Intimacy with God
There is so much God is willing to receive from us that He does not require from us. He designed us to live in intimate communion with Him, but He...
Have You Wrestled With God?
Note from Team LO: We are SO excited to bring you this month's post from our LO sister member, Jasmine Singh! If you want to be a part of this...
When Heaven Seems Silent
What do you do when heaven seems silent and your prayers continue to go unanswered? When it seems like everyone else’s prayers are being answered...
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 Motherhood Myth of Mary Poppins
My boys were five, three, and a baby when I walked into my mother-in-law’s kitchen. There was Anna, up early, making a big breakfast, chatting with...
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...
Discipline of Celebration
Good morning friend, I hope as you sip your morning coffee and read through this page or two you are lifted up by the truth that celebration is a...
Embrace Your Brokenness
Which woman in the Bible do you most identify with? If I’m being totally honest—which I am because we’re friends here, and that’s what friends do—I...
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...
PRAYER: Where Do I Begin?
PRAYER: What? Why? + Where do I begin? Don’t know what to say when you go to pray? I get it. I’ve been there too. But really, it’s as simple as can...
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...
Faithful. Fearless. Fierce.
God will always go before you, stand behind you, and walk beside you. Before we even dive into this word on my heart today, let’s hold captive to...
Jesus, Are You There?
There I was, sitting in the middle of my one bedroom apartment completely overwhelmed. My heart was racing, the tears were flowing and I had never...
You Are Not Behind
If You Feel Behind, Read This… It was a typical Tuesday-night get-together with three of my closest friends. Every week, we meet to we catch up on...
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...
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...
Lie Detection
Have you ever heard someone say you should wait thirty minutes after a meal to go swimming? Or that shaving your hair makes it grow back thicker?...
Don’t You Believe It’s Going to Be Good?
DON’T YOU BELIEVE IT’S GOING TO BE GOOD? This was the question I felt like the Lord was asking me a couple of months ago. I was on the phone with...
Step Away From the Phone
Hi, my name is Amy, and I am a phone-a-holic. I’m in recovery, of course, but I’m still an addict. I likely always will be. There’s the withdrawal,...
A Content Heart Starts in Singleness
For the majority of college, I was single. And I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t always patient during singleness. I was the one in the...
Baptized on a Monday
Advice we can all learn from
A Sickness With No Name
Advice we can all learn from
Our Best Relationship Advice
Advice we can all learn from
Healthy Healing: Body Image
Advice we can all learn from
Sin Girls Don’t Talk About
Advice we can all learn from
A Heart For Redemption
Nothing ever satisfies until we realize we’re beautiful on the inside.
Stewarding Your Money Well
Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
5 Things I Wish My Younger Self Knew
Advice we can all learn from
Burden for the Lost
Maybe God was letting me hurt with Him.
10 Bible Verses on Forgiveness
We have been forgiven, so let’s be forgiving people!
Love. Relationship. Redemption.
God defined love once and for all.
My Adoption Story
Read about God’s faithfulness through this incredible adoption story.
Spectacle or Sacred
Jesus doesn’t want your love to be a spectacle. He wants it to be sacred.
Identity
Don’t believe the lies of the world. We are CHOSEN, ROYAL, and HOLY in His sight.
Love Intentionally
There are principles and truths from God’s Word that will keep us from so much of the unnecessary pain that can come from our culture’s casual, and often flippant idea of what dating, relationships and love should be.
Miscalculation
When disappointment is lived out in our lives, however, it becomes our nemesis and a paralyzer.