Bless Your Heart and Home

by his grace, through his word, for our joy, to his glory.

Six Truths for Barren Women

by 2 Comments

My husband and I have been through the ups and downs of infertility and pregnancy loss for 8 years. Since beginning this very difficult journey, God has blessed us with a beautiful, healthy 2-year-old boy, as well as two children that I miscarried and that wait for us in heaven with the Lord.

Through times of depression and grief, anger and sadness, heartbreak and pain, God has not only abounded to us in comfort, but He has also increased our hope in Him, our joy in His promises, our faith in His word, and our love for the Savior….

Read More »

Finding Rest in Christ: 9 Practical Ways to Abide in God’s Promised Rest

by 6 Comments

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Walking down the beach just after sunrise, I see a young woman meditating. She’s in a yoga position (lotus) near to where the waves lap the shore. She looks peaceful, and I pass by quietly.

She feels “it.”

That’s how I feel, too, when the salty ocean breeze cools my face and my little boy is laughing and splashing and none of my loved ones are sick and I’ve paid all the bills (for now). It’s how I feel when I’ve not blown it on the third slice of chocolate cake, when my toddler didn’t wake up before I was ready, and when nobody has offended me or misunderstood me in a few weeks.

Then, I feel “it,” too.…

Read More »

Finding Rest in Christ: Producing the Fruit of an Abiding Life

by 7 Comments

Unless you have been born from above, you cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit. Your unsaved children cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit; your unsaved family members and coworkers cannot bear the Spirit’s fruit; and we cannot bear the Spirit’s fruit either unless God has made us His own and given us the Spirit in our hearts. Only then will God’s Spirit work in us to change us …. but it has to be from the inside-out….

Read More »

Finding Rest in Christ: Abide in Him

by 5 Comments

In my most recent post in this series on Finding Rest in Christ, my words and prayer were to present to you a clear explanation and biblical understanding of the salvation offered by God through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Today, I want to share those gospel truths again, for we who have trusted in Christ and are sealed and saved by God continue to need the Savior and his gospel every moment for the rest of our lives.

I have heard teachers and fellow Christians preach to the lost soul a true gospel, but to the Christian brother or sister teach a distorted one (Galatians 1:6-7)….and I have preached a faulty gospel to other Christians and myself, as well….

Read More »

Finding Rest in Christ: The Gospel

by 6 Comments

For the rest of this month on the blog I want to present some encouragement to you in a multi-part series on resting and abiding in Christ. The blessed rest and joy of abiding in Christ is a theme that is so great and so life changing, that I want to wade more deeply into God’s truths about the dependent, gospel-charged Christian life. If God will grant to reveal His Person to you more fully and lavishly in this regard, YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

What a bold claim I make, but I testify from my own experience of God’s Spirit applying His words to pierce as far as the division of Amanda’s soul and spirit, changing my heart to know the true rest that comes from knowing Christ….

Read More »

Dear Young Single Woman

by Leave a Comment

Dear beautiful young Christian woman,

You have my heart, you know? You feel a rush of joy in your soul and a knot in your stomach as you look across the horizon of your twenties and soon-to-come-thirties. You wait in expectation and with high hopes for the future and for good things to come.

And I’ve not met a one of you yet who’s not a little anxious to meet Mr. Right. Most of you shyly grin that, although you have lots of public goals and after-high-school dreams and post-college-ambitions, your BIG dream is to meet the right man. Someday be a wife. Someday have a little house. Someday be a mom….

Read More »