I’d heard that the blue light emitted from the screens we stare at for hours a day feed our brains too much of a chemical that yells, “STAY AWAKE,” but I had no idea how much it was actually affecting me.
I feel like I should say that I will make a total of exactly ZERO dollars by sharing this information with you. Amazon doesn’t care about my blog. I just have to share because it made such a drastic difference beginning with the first night I wore them.
Read MoreBefore I get into everything, it must be said:
If your high schooler is enrolled in creative writing, stop everything and go give that teacher a hug. And flowers. And send them Tiff's Treats. They're the real heroes.
There are so many other pieces I found that were so awful I couldn’t even post them here. BUT, there were notes - sweet, sweet notes - written by my creative writing teacher that showed genuine interest and concern. Reading the pieces I submitted 20 years later, I left with sore eyes and a headache because I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes while reading this junk!
I couldn’t believe there was a sweet soul out there who took the time to invest in us, a room full of smelly misfits with our absurd 15-year-old emotions. ALL the emotions and not enough deodorant. Goodness!
Read MoreI’m so excited to “introduce” my readers to this incredible woman tonight. If you don’t know her already, you’re guaranteed to feel like she’s your best friend by the end of this post!
When I was brainstorming with Holy Spirit who I should interview for this series, I just smiled when He brought her to mind. She's an incredibly hilarious, passionate writer, the most loyal friend you'll ever meet, and is just drenched in love, hope, and grace. I can't say enough about how thankful I am to know her and how her blog posts (and sweet friendship) have encouraged me in my own journey.
Her post covers all the things, y'all. I know everyone who reads it will relate to at least one part of her story of learning what it means to have friendship with the Father, dealing with worry and anxiety, learning how to wait well, and so much more. Thank you for your words, my friend. We're all better off because of them.
While driving to work a few weeks ago, I came across a passage that literally stopped me in my tracks. Has that ever happened to you?
I was listening to the Bible app in my car and heard a verse that took my breath away. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s true! I ended up listening to the same chapter over and over again, probably five or six times.
There is power in our testimonies! The Hebrew word for testimony is "ehud," which means witness, record, duplicate, or repeat. Our testimonies of the incredible things the Father has done in our lives are meant to be repeated. When we give our testimonies, hope is released into the atmosphere. Our prayer life changes as we joyfully ask the Father to do it again. That thing You did in my friend's life...do it again in my life, Father!
About a month ago, the Father put this series on my heart and immediately revealed to me the five women I needed to interview. I consider all of these women to be mentors to me in one way or another. With such diverse backgrounds and perspectives, I know many readers will connect to each woman's story for different reasons.
My first testimonial comes from my Insta friend, Kim. Kim is one of the reasons I love the Internet. I know her testimony of adoption and forgiveness will bless you abundantly! One of my favorite quotes from Kim: "Being adopted never meant I was rejected; it meant I was found." Amen!
This month’s date night was spent at the brand new Truck Yard in The Colony, TX! While we were there, I took advantage of the unique scenery and festive grounds to take photos to accompany this post.
On the blog today, I'm sharing my 10 best tips for making the most out of your iPhone camera. Also included: the most terrifying selfie I've ever taken of myself to stress just how important angles are. No double chins were harmed in the creation of this post. Enjoy, friends!
Read MoreI want to recall His Words as easily as I do the Boyz II Men song, “End of the Road,” from ‘92. Why is it that we can recite every word to, “Whatta Man,” written 25 years ago, but we can’t recall more than a handful of verses of the only book that will outlive every human on earth?
Memorizing His Word shouldn’t feel like a check-the-box task or an obligatory measure to earn His favor. We memorize His Word to learn more about His heart and we learn more about who He is by reading His Word. I pray that you’ll fall more in love with Jesus, the Word who wore flesh, every time you invest in speaking His truth over your spirit and memorizing His love letter, the Word!
Read MoreI'm taking a pretty unpopular stance on the blog today in a culture that screams, “You do you! Anything goes. Every religion points back to ‘god.’ YOLO. Live it up! There isn’t a god, so it doesn’t even matter. The only thing that matters is who I want to be and what I want to do. You're the most important thing you need to worry about. There isn’t ‘truth;’ everyone can just do and believe whatever they want."
We hear these messages implicitly and explicitly so often each day that we become numb to them. They may even start to make sense over time. But time and human logic cannot change eternal truths. I hope you'll head over to the blog to hear more. I'm praying for the one who needs to hear this message today, above all of the noise.
I’m currently averaging 64% goal attainmenton my 2019 resolutions. Yes, I calculated that. Hashtag nerd alert. Also, that’s pretty terrible.
Isn’t it nice to know that God doesn’t keep a scorecard like this on us? He is FOR us, not AGAINST us. He takes us from grace TO grace. Please know that I am walking through this exercise merely for my own insight and amusement. I will not tear myself down for the things I haven’t accomplished this year, but at the same time, I will ask Holy Spirit to show me where I can keep growing. And I know He’ll show me.
Read MoreHave you ever played the game "What would your super power be?" I feel like mine would be something boring like cleaning the house at the snap of my fingers or carbs with no consequences. The Word says that Jesus carried a supernatural power in His hands. He could’ve done anything with this power, and what did He choose to do with it? Heal people!
Preach. Heal. Bring freedom. Proclaim joy. His mission is our mission, too. Can you imagine what our world would be like if we were more like Jesus and less like Christians? Preach the good news, heal broken people, break chains, and proclaim JOY and freedom! I’m in! It’s no wonder that people were drawn to Him by the thousands. Our ministry should still be this attractive…this hope-filled, this love-driven!
Do you know what your Heavenly Father thinks about you? How faithful He is and how much He loves you? Who He says you are?
Today on the blog I'm sharing what might be my favorite blog post of the year. Each word was carefully chosen and packed with truth, scripture, and Holy Spirit inspiration. I know I'll go back to re-read this post when I'm feeling discouraged and need a reminder of who the Father says I am when the world wants so desperately to convince me otherwise.
This week on the blog I'm dissecting the song I have on repeat these days. I can't wait for this song to be released!
Jesus saw the cross a few days out, but found pleasure in the present - in Mary’s humble gesture as she gave everything she had in this incredible act of worship in preparation for His burial.
The disciples saw a woman embarrassing herself and wondered why Jesus patiently waited for her to finish this inconvenient, shameful act.
Mary saw her Savior before her and worshipped Him in the best way she knew how in that moment. Nothing would stop her - not her past, not the men who were mocking her, not anxiety about how she’d pay her bills the next day.
Read MoreAre you praying for your friends? Like really praying for them? As in, prayers that go beyond illness, new jobs, and travel safety? I have a handful of people in my life who will look me straight in the eyes and genuinely ask me what I need prayer for. And then…they pray for me. Right then and there. (I know….gasp!)
On the blog today, I'm sharing 20 Biblical truths we should be continually praying over our closest friends. Praying that their faith, hope, and love would increase beyond measure. That they would put on the full armor of God. That they would engage in a deeper level of intimacy and friendship with the Holy Spirit and listen for His voice.
Read MoreWe desperately want to be seen and known by someone. How much more of a gift is it to be seen by the creator of the universe? He doesn’t fall asleep, get annoyed, or get busy. He never stops seeing us.
This week on the blog I'm covering two more names in this series: "The God Who Sees" and "The Provider." We can cling to so many promises from a faithful God in His Word. And these are some of my favorites.
He sees me, He knows every part of me, and yet, He still loves me more than I could ever understand. He is my more-than-enough Provider. He doesn't want to just meet my needs - He wants to bless me in the abundant realm!
This week we celebrated our 13th year of marriage! The "lucky 13!" But the truth is that in Christ, we don't need luck. We only need HIM. And HE will lead our marriage in the most beautiful direction.
As much as I wish this would've happened in year 2, I don't think we would've noticed or appreciated how the Father was moving in our lives if it had happened at that time. This has been the most incredible year of growth for us in our marriage in every sense of the word, so I can't even imagine what it will be like in another year.
He CAN redeem your marriage and take it from good to great, friends!
I'm so excited to share part two of this blog series today. This week we're looking at "The Father" and "God Most High." I love the contrast of these two names. That He's the God above all, but He's also close, holding us tenderly as a Father.
If you've never known Him as Father, I pray that you will find comfort in this post. Dig into the Word to find out who He is. Discover that He is an amazing Father who gives good gifts. He isn't a puppet master and He doesn't send death and destruction, BUT He comforts us and walks with us through our storms.
Our baby Kota turned three yesterday! This little pup has brought so much love and *ahem* hair into our home.
I found just a few of my favorite photos of this pup. And by a few, I mean 97. Come on over to the blog to see some of my favorite pics of one of my favorite pups!
I remember learning about the names of God in Bible College. They seemed interesting. Beautiful, even. But I hadn’t lived them yet. I knew God as the the Creator and the Provider. On paper, I knew He was the Healer and the One who Sees. But I hadn’t truly lived them yet.
I’m so excited to launch my first “blog series” today! I never imagined I'd still be blogging weekly, let alone publishing a "series!"
When I began writing this post last week, I realized it was going to be way too long (even longer than my typical, super long post.) So I decided to turn it into a 5-part series that I will publish over the next few months.
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