Our Blog
Encouragement for every season of life
If You Struggle to Make Small Talk
All I need today is a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus. It’s a slogan on signs, t-shirts, and oversized coffee cups. Sunday morning coffee hour at church has a whole lot of coffee and Jesus, but what this introvert also needs is a whole lot of words for...
The 5 Senses: Protect Your Heart
“Follow your heart” is a phrase we hear often. It seems innocent enough. Many movies and television shows revolve around characters who follow their hearts, and the ending is usually happy. Yet God commands us to do the opposite. “The heart is deceitful above all...
Love’s Cost: Dealing with Grief
One of the most beautiful things about humanity is how we connect with others. Through our interactions, we emotionally bond with friends and family. We pull those people close to our hearts, just as they draw us in. And when we lose them, we feel intense pain inside....
Who Are You?
Whenever three-year-old Ava walks through our front door, I ask her that question. “Who are you?” It’s an answer I know before she says a word. All I have to do is look at her hair. One braid means she’s Princess Elsa, two braids means she’s Princess Anna, a braid...
Four Powerful Words
The experts in analyzing human behavior tell us that people have two basic needs: To feel safe/secure and to feel in control. The physiological sensations I experience when I recollect times when I’ve experienced danger or felt out-of-control make me think there is...
Thrive: Thousands of Women Know You
How many people in your life truly know you? How many people surround you that understand your hopes and dreams and know your biggest fears? Do they know what you are passionate about? Do they know what your favorite food is? Do they know where you stand on important...
Am I Hard or Soft?
Have you had a passage of Scripture that bothers you or that you just don’t understand? I have several of them. One is Exodus 9:12, “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses” (NIV). Why is God...
Called to Trust: A Thrive Conference Story
Have you attended the Thrive Conference? Every year, we're amazed at the way it works in the lives of women who join us. Today’s story is courtesy of Molly, who writes about her experience at Thrive in 2015. Want to join in on the fun? This year's theme is Adamant...
Why I Won’t Miss the Thrive Conference
Choose joy! These two words were part of the theme for the first Bridging the Gap women’s conference I attended several years ago, and became an impactful part of my life afterward that I still remember today. Since then, I have attended numerous spring conferences...
Know Thy Parenting Limits
Sometimes parents know how to respect their parental limits, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they make smart choices...and sometimes they find themselves at the Mall of America the day after Black Friday...with all three children! (You guys, what was I thinking?!)...
