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God's Christmas gifts: new life (part 1)

What God Wants to Give Us for Christmas: New Life (Part 1)

Christmas is days away and I am so excited about sharing this special day with my husband and family. The year started as the previous. A time of anticipation, yet each day filled with the comfortable routine of the past. Until a burning pain in my chest turned my normal into a test of trust. I had felt the pain before and knew I needed to get to the hospital. Physicians quickly realized the stent placed to repair a blockage in my heart had failed. Surgery was required. I kissed my husband, climbed onto the gurney, and was whisked away to the surgical suite. Life Is a Gift! Several hours later, I woke to the chirping and pinging of machines. One was […]

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man with arm around woman, both with crestfallen faces

Making Peace with the Unexpected Grief of Miscarriage

By Ashley Johnson / Motherhood

The roses I received for Valentine’s Day sat withered on my countertop for weeks. My eyes stung every time I looked at them, but I couldn’t seem to throw them away. It was the only tangible evidence I had from my pregnancy that ended too soon. A life that I fell in love with and cherished—more than I ever knew was possible. Those roses looked so different when they were presented to me. Peach, with hints of green. Subtle and lovely. The tightly bound buds were delivered to me by the cutest little hands, purchased by bigger, quieter hands. I’ll never forget the equally eager smiles. That bouquet held so much promise of beauty. The perfect representation of the new life growing

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This Medical Mission Trip Miracle Will Restore Your Faith

By Katelynn Boot / Faith

When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him, and the word got around. Soon, a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick. Toward evening, the disciples approached him. “We’re out in the country, and it’s getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper.” But Jesus said, “There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper.” “All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish,” they said. Jesus said, “Bring them here.” Then, he had the people

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god loves all of me even my messy armpit hair

Does God Love All of Me—Even My Messy Armpit Hair?

By Caroline Beidler / Faith, Audio Articles

(Listen to the audio version of this article here.) It was after my three-year-old daughter’s unsolicited observation that I realized how much God loves all of me—even the messier bits. “What’s under your armpit, mom?” she asked me from the back seat of our minivan. I’d been smooshed between two toddlers for days on highways and back country roads. Memories of the car salesman saying that vans are “roomy” and “give ample leg room” flashed before my mind like some high school prank. I felt like a clam in a slow cooker. We were in and out of Airbnb‘s and survived long nights with extended family (one of our kids doesn’t sleep well traveling) and a handful of states. We hurdled through

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To the Christian Woman With a Crooked Past

By Meaghan Dawson / Faith

As I sat in that stuffy, little room listening to the woman on stage, I looked around at the other women—some nodding along, some with eyes glistening with unshed tears—all with rapt attention. I listened to her testimony, heard her words, walked through her journey with the Lord. And with a bitter inward sigh, I thought to myself, “That’s it? That’s the best you’ve got?” Her story, it was beautiful. Her faith, it was unwavering and strong through the peaks and valleys of her life. I should have felt inspired by her testimony. I knew it took courage and strength for her to sit up there, in front of her peers, and bare her soul in words as personal as any words

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Where Can I Find the Purpose of Life?

By Caroline Beidler / Purpose, Audio Articles

(Listen to the audio version of this article here.) It started when I was 19: a sudden heaviness in my lungs and edginess I couldn’t shake. As soon as I left home, the weight of the world’s toughest questions began needling me like a three-year-old. The world’s pressures of womanhood becoming equally as frustrating. Suffocating. I’d lay in bed at night in angst and visualize scenes captured by the Hubble telescope: a galaxy, a multitude of galaxies, that speak to the infinite. I’d think about the world and its enormity. The endless possibilities. And then I’d ponder this strange reality, in contrast: the one where I, a woman, had a little path to find. A way. A purpose. I couldn’t help but

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How to Age Gracefully in a Culture Obsessed with Beauty

By Amy Saxby / Faith

The day I turned 40 didn’t hit me the way I thought it would. I felt young, so I thought, “Why let a number bother me?” Busyness defined me, but I had energy to sustain it all. I didn’t feel like I was “over the hill.” Now that I’m almost 45, that feeling has slightly shifted. The number does bother me. It’s funny how five years can make a difference. Suddenly, I feel older. My body gets tired more quickly. Stress hits me in strange ways. My brain reaches capacity more quickly than it did in the past. Our Culture’s Message on Age and Appearance I am also noticing differences in how I look. My thick, dark hair is suddenly thinning and showing

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Ask Dr. Zoe – Coping With Anxiety Biblically

By Dr. Zoe / Ask Dr. Zoe

‘Coping With Anxiety’ Asked: I recently realized the extent to which I have struggled with anxiety all my life. What are some healthy, Biblical coping mechanisms I can use when anxiety and panic set in? Dr. Zoe Answered: Dear Coping With Anxiety, What I love about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is that it is completely Biblical. The Bible says, and modern CBT research has proven, that getting control over your thoughts is the best and most efficacious treatment for anxiety (and depression). The Bible tells us whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about those things and the God of peace will be with you

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This Is My Letter to God

By Darlene Brock / Faith

Dear God, You, God, are my Father, my eternal heavenly Father. Because You asked me to be your child, sought me, and found me. I didn’t earn it. I have no qualifications to join Your royal family. I am here only because You sent Your Son. Through you, Jesus, Your birth, death, and resurrection, I have been adopted into Your family. That I now have the honor to be a child of the King. My faults, my sins, and shortcomings are covered by who You are and what You did. Your words, when You walked this earth, taught me how to live. Your death taught me how to love. As You left to return to heaven, You gave me more. You left

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This Is My New Exercise Regimen for My Faith

By Amy Saxby / Faith

I love new beginnings. I’m a girl who enjoys looking back, reflecting, evaluating, and dreaming for the future. For me, a new day, season or year means a new opportunity to clean out the old, purge clutter, refocus, slow down, set goals, and reflect on what God has done in my life. I’m the nerdy girl who loves to turn the calendar page to a new month. I love the newness and blank slate it brings, representing a fresh start. Recently, I felt a need to start a new exercise regime. Not a physical, let’s-get-fit exercise, but a new mental and spiritual regime I am trying to practice and embrace. I have noticed lately that I allow many of my emotions to

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5 Everyday Spiritual Practices to Grow Your Faith

By Caroline Beidler / Faith

When my pastor recently asked our small group what actions we could commit to taking this week to increase practicing faith in an authentic way, I paused. What came to mind was a series of events from my twenties when life was simple, a bit more melancholic, and I had time for things like spiritual practices and disciplines. During my mid-twenties as a new(ish) convert, I devoured every book I could get my hands on about spiritual formation, long before I even knew that was what I was reading. I sang psalms and wrote new ones as I strummed an out-of-tune black guitar with nail-bitten and calloused fingers. I read and read and read and met some of the greats like Yancey

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Anxious? Looking for a Refuge?

By Allison McCormick / Faith, Best Of

I woke at 1:30 AM. Fully alert and rehashing the events from the previous day. I was angry, anxious, and agitated by people’s lack of integrity. Their unwillingness to be accountable for their actions and words. I choreographed responses, planned for the potential encounter, and waited for sleep to return. The bedside alarm clock measured the minutes: 2:30… 3:30… 3:45. When finally, my mind calmed enough to allow me to fall back to sleep. Waking again to the sound of our dog jumping off the bed, his ID tags acting as an alarm as they jingled against his collar. It was 5:20 AM and I gave up the notion of sleep. Once on my feet, I made my way to my office.

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Bible Verses on New Beginnings from the Grit and Grace Team

By The Grit and Grace Team / Faith

New beginnings are equally terrifying and exciting, for the same reason: they are unknown. A fresh start, regardless of the purpose, is still uncharted territory. We might have been thrown into it unexpectedly—say, with the loss of a loved one—or perhaps it’s the product of careful sifting to restructure our lives into something more grandiose. What awaits us is unknown, but we have reason to look expectantly ahead. The Grit and Grace Life team share their favorite Bible verses on starting anew. There Is Light at the End of Your Tunnel Have you ever felt like you were lost in the wilderness? Like you were wandering around and around, maybe in circles, with no end in sight? Maybe it’s a complicated health

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Bible Verses From The Grit and Grace Team on Peace

Bible Verses on Peace from the Grit and Grace Team

By The Grit and Grace Team / Faith

In the midst of life’s circumstances and the chaos that is our kids, spouse, job, bills, and home, it seems we are never quite at rest. Many people find peace to be a highly-esteemed, yet nearly unattainable, ideal. But we ladies at Grit and Grace Life believe otherwise: that God is able to meet us in the middle of our hectic lives and grant us peace in the way that only He can. Here, the team shares Bible verses that remind them that peace is never truly far out of reach. Peace in Troubled Times It seems more than ever that peace is an elusive feeling. Fears arise driven by news reports every day. But what often leads our fearful hearts are

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What God Wants to Give Us for Christmas: Eternal Life (Part 2)

By Allison McCormick / Faith

Click here to read Part One of “What God Wants to Give Us for Christmas.“ I was so excited this past Christmas about the gift I selected for my husband! It was something he needed, never expected, and actually never considered. His home office chair was made up of bits and pieces from an 8-year-old chair and parts found at a thrift store. It worked and he was excited about his creation. Yet I noticed that as he spent time in the chair, he slowly lowered. The hydraulics no longer worked. And at 6’2”, you need a chair’s hydraulics to work. Otherwise, you look like a giant sitting in a child’s chair—his knees creeping close to his ears. So, his present was

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Bible Verses on Hope from the Grit and Grace Team

By The Grit and Grace Team / Faith

We all need a little hope now and again. Whether something in our lives is severely testing our faith, or we just need a small flicker of light at the end of the tunnel, the need for hope is always in demand. The good news? With God, it’s never in short supply. Check out the Bible verses that the team from Grit and Grace Life refer to when they need that boost; that little reminder that God will lend an ear and a helping hand when our confidence wavers. Here, members of the G&G team share Bible verses on hope that remind them it’s always available to us in all situations: Hope for the Battle The most challenging time to find hope

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Could It Be God Who Stirs Me From Sleep?

By Eve DeBardeleben Roebuck / Faith, Best Of

I’m awake and up before my husband—The Cowboy—has gone to bed. It’s 1:21 a.m. and too darn early. I went to bed at 10, but I’m wide awake now. I’m afraid I’m getting weird. Unbalanced. And while I really love getting a jump on my day, I’m also afraid I’m getting pulled out of sync with the rest of the world, who’s mostly awake when the sun’s up, not the moon. It sounds silly to write that, considering that I’m checking in with you, the one who put the sun and moon in place and never sleeps. But really? Up until now, my early rising has felt like you were waking me up to hang out. Now it’s beginning to feel like

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