Embracing Life
Back to School Blessings
A new school year brings new beginnings, new opportunities, and often a few unknowns. We naturally want to protect the children we love, help them succeed, and prepare them for whatever the year may bring. But we can't know every challenge they will face or walk every step of the journey with them. We can, however, entrust them to the God who knows every day ahead of them and remind our children of His presence, His promises, and His love. To speak a blessing over someone is more than simply wishing them well. It is an intentional way of speaking God’s truth and promises over their lives. Blessings can certainly be prayed between you and God, but they can also be spoken aloud, allowing the one you are blessing to hear God’s Word and His truth spoken directly to their heart, mind, and spirit.
Featured | PrayerWhen You Find Yourself Asking God "Why?"
When something unexpected happens in our life, or in our world, it's easy for us to ask God why it happened. We want to live the blessed "abundant life" (John 10:10b) that Jesus said He was bringing, and we forget that He also told us that "in this world, you will have trouble," John 16:33. We forget that all our favorite Bible characters had their share of struggles and grief and hard circumstances. Sometimes they experienced struggles for decades before they saw God's plan come to pass in their life. When both of my sons began to receive diagnosis after diagnosis, I continually asked God "Why? Why my child? Why both of my children? Why me? Why don't you heal them? Why is this special needs parenting thing so hard? Why do you feel so far away?" After months and months of pleading these questions and God not giving me an answer, I experienced a crisis of faith that scared me.
Featured | Faith25 Scriptures to Pray For Your Family
Prayer in and of itself is powerful. When you combine it with Scripture, well, let's just say you should be prepared to see some mighty things happen. God gave us His word and He wants us to pray. When you combine the two spiritual disciplines of reading the Word and prayer by praying Scripture, it will help you apply God's word to your life while growing deeper in your prayer life.,Praying Scripture honors God by using His own words to praise Him and pray to Him.,We tend to pray for things WE want, but praying Scripture will help align your desires with what HE wants. And when our desires are aligned, that's when we're most likely to see God move powerfully in our prayers. If you'd like to learn more about praying Scripture with lists of verses to pray on a variety of topics (such as praying for your family, marriage, children, purpose, health, church, and so much more) check out my book On the Same Page with God: Embracing the Power of Praying Scripture.
Featured | Prayer15 Scriptures to Pray For America
My heart lately has been burdened by events and attitudes I see unfolding around me in the United States. We aren't united. We are divided by political parties and beliefs. It breaks my heart. And I know it does God's too. Jesus prayed before His death for all of us: "I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me." John 17:21 Not only did Jesus pray and die for us to be united, but His prayer was that by us being united, other people, those who are not believers, would be drawn toward God. Our country is in the middle of a great battle, and we know that the best way for us to battle is on our knees. And the best source to turn to is not the news or social media, but the very Word of God. Despite our different denominations and political parties and opinions, we are all united by the power of prayer and the blood of Jesus.
Featured | PrayerBooks for the Christian Special Needs Parent In Need of Encouragement
If you're a parent raising a child (or children) with special needs, you know the ache, the loneliness, the worry and fear that can become consuming if you let it. You can find yourself struggling with grief, anxiety, and/or depression, and experience a crisis of faith. You need all the help and support and encouragement and faith and hope you can get. I've been there—I have two boys who both have special needs. And I also love reading. So I'm in my happy place when I stumble across a book that can encourage or enlighten me on this special needs parenting journey. Below are several of my favorites that I often recommend to other special needs parents. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. You can see a list of these recommended books for special needs parents on Amazon here .
Featured | Special needsBibles For Children with Special Needs to Help Them Access God's Word
My older son (age 12) has hearing loss, a speech disorder, and a few learning disabilities, and my younger son (age 9) is on the autism spectrum, but I don't want their diagnoses to stop them from learning about and loving God's Word. There are so many Bibles to choose from, I decided I would share with you the Bibles that I have read with my own children or that I've heard great things about from other special needs parents. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! Updated: September 2024 This was one of the first Bibles I read with my kids and they loved it. It is brightly colored with cartoon-like illustrations in simple language that help the stories come alive for our children. This beautifully illustrated Bible is great for those who are unable to read on their own or just learning to read.
Featured | Special needsBook Coaching
Are you a Christian woman who feels called to write a non-fiction book, but who also feels overwhelmed or stuck in the writing process? Would you like some direction and encouragement from someone who has been there before? I can help. I have self-published three books , collaborated on two self-published anthologies, and helped numerous others on the path toward self-publishing their books. I've also attended writing conferences, written book proposals, and spoken with agents and editors regarding the traditional book publishing and hybrid publishing route. Conceptualize Your Book: -Mine through your hard story to find your hope story. -Determine the transformation you want your reader to experience. -Brainstorm and organize the content of your book. -Write a one sheet or book proposal if needed. Write Your Book: -Create a writing rhythm and routine that works best for you. -Overcome writer’s block or other writing-related insecurities and obstacles.
Featured | WritingWhen God Calls You To Write A Book
I have dreamed of writing a book for a long time. I thought perhaps I would write a young adult book: as a former middle school English teacher, I devour plenty of those, wanting to be able to share my love of reading with my students who are always looking for a good book. I wrote two young adult novels and even sought out publication for them. I even had a few agents interested in one of my books but they wanted me to make some changes that I didn't have time for, because I was suddenly thrown into a world of special needs parenting. Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! Note: This article was originally published in September of 2018 and updated in June of 2025.
Featured | WritingHow to Trust God Like Ruth
For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to Ruth from the Bible. Her devotion to her mother-in-law is inspiring. Her happily ever after is beautiful. But I've been thinking about what qualities I so admire in her. And I think it is simply that she simply put one foot in front of the other, trusting God with everything she did, without expecting a reward. That's it. When her husband died, she could have been consumed by that circumstance. Wallowed in self-pity. Thought the world and God owed her more than she had gotten. She could have gotten stuck in a pit of grief and bitterness like Naomi did. Now I’m sure she grieved. Grief is normal and healthy. Even Jesus experienced grief. Ruth just chose to not get stuck there. She decides to wipe her tears and embrace the life and the blessings she has. And she determines to remain true to the family she married into.
Featured | Faith