Bless Your Heart and Home

A 3-Week Bible Reading Plan for Beginners (with printable)

October 7, 2016 by amanda 3 Comments

Do you know very little about the Bible or Christianity? Let’s read through a “skeletal overview” of God’s word!

ALL of God’s word is important to read and know, but until we have a bit of a framework, it can feel challenging to get our bearings when we jump into a new part of the Bible. If you have not heard very much about the Bible, there will be quite a few things in the following chapters that you may not can piece together yet, and that’s okay! You will be able to learn some truths that are vital to a beginning knowledge of God through His word….

How Busy Women Can Find Time for Quiet Time

September 20, 2016 by amanda 4 Comments

Are you in a season where you feel dry and thirsty?

Jesus promised that Living Water that wells up and spills out, satisfying and quenching our own thirst and running over to those around us. But what about when you’re in a season where the wheels have fallen off the wagon and you’re in a rut that you just don’t know how to climb out of?

Last year when I had a newborn, my soul felt so dry and thirsty during that hectic season. When it seemed that I needed the help and encouragement of the Scriptures the most, I struggled to consistently find quiet time to spend with the Lord in prayer and in His word.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

With my life feeling so upside-down, my usual routines for spending time with the Lord were not falling into place, and I didn’t know what to do to find that space in my days or the want-to in my heart to drink at the Fountain. I asked the Lord to help me to draw near to Him, and He provided for me two main ways to seek Him during those challenging months….

How to Pray for Your Family and Friends

July 27, 2016 by amanda Leave a Comment

As a wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, godmother, granddaughter, or friend, we are uniquely suited to serve as INTERCESSORS before God on behalf of those we love.

In Christ Jesus, Christian women are spiritually a holy, royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5, 9), Jesus having made us “priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:6). One of the roles of an Old Testament priest was that of INTERCESSOR.

When the priest went into the Holy Place to minister before the Lord, he wore an ephod and a breastpiece carrying stones with names engraved upon them, the names of the tribes of Israel. Each name of the 12 sons of Israel was carved onto those stones, and when the priest came into God’s presence, he carried those names before the Lord….

All of Your Life Is Worship

July 20, 2016 by amanda 7 Comments

When I think about what it looks like to live a life of worship, I think of things like fervent prayer time, worshiping God at church, giving sacrificially to missions, and Bible study.

And while an obedient Christian woman’s life will encompass each of these aspects, that’s really not what my life looks like most of the time. Most of the time, my life looks and feels very unspiritual.

It’s not that I’m pursuing worldly passions or only living for Jesus on Sundays. No, it’s just that most of my waking (and sleeping!?) hours are filled with dirty diapers, breastfeeding, grocery lists, and scraping dried avocado and mashed banana off the high chair…..

Friendship: The Gospel Is a Leveling Ground

July 14, 2016 by amanda 1 Comment

When our perspective on relationships is rooted in the gospel, true friendship can blossom.

Have you ever “written off” a friendship with a new acquaintance, assuming she could never “get” you? I know I have. I desire to spare myself that sting of rejection that I fear.

But over the last year, God has shown me that those feelings that I have dismissed as my just being a little extra self-conscious are really a stronghold of pride in my life.

I don’t want to admit it, but my insecurities have been a hindrance for sharing in meaningful friendship with others, loving them, receiving love from them, and sharing in ministering to the body of Christ. I often hesitate to “let people in,” wanting sometimes just to “save face” rather than risk rejection.

I tend to forget that we are all in the same boat:

Every single woman is a sinner and is desperately wicked and depraved. She does not desire God or good apart from the strong, saving arm of her Almighty Father.

When I believe what God’s word says, the gospel becomes a leveling ground….

Your Creator God Is Your Help

June 3, 2016 by amanda 6 Comments

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” Psalm 121:1

So often when I’m overwhelmed, looking for encouragement or affirmation, or need advice or comfort, I seek help by phoning a friend, venting about the situation to my husband, or maybe taking yet another look at my planner to try and figure out how to find an extra hour or two in my day. I look for “me time,” I make another pot of coffee, or I buy a new blouse online, all in an effort to find help….

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