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Rooted and Established in Love Printables + Mini Devotional
I’m excited to share my new Rooted and Established in Love printables with you right in time for Valentine’s Day! I had a lot of fun creating these whimsical tree designs (they make me think of something Suessical) inspired by Ephesians 3.
I hope you enjoy these printables all year round too—after all, we can use the reminder that we are loved every day of the year, not just on certain holidays! These verses from Ephesians are so powerful, and my hope is these printables will help us aspire to love well and remember that the strength to do so comes directly from our mighty God!
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My Interview on Unpolished Ponderings
I’m excited to share more of my chronic illness journey and what inspires me creatively in a guest post I was invited to participate in!
Fellow chronic illness blogger Olivia Wolfertz interviewed me over on her blog, Unpolished Ponderings.
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Fruits of the Spirit Printables + Mini Devotional
I’m excited to share my free Fruits of the Spirit printables with you today! This subway art based on Galatians 5:22-23 is a great tool for Bible verse memorization and meditation on God’s Word. I’m also sharing a mini devotional on spiritual growth and ways to further study this wonderful verse:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB)
I love the phrase “fruits of the Spirit” from scripture, and as someone who loves to garden, I always look forward to harvest time. As we continue into harvest season this year, there is so much rich truth in this verse to unpack! Here’s what I think this verse has to teach us.
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Longing for Light: An Example of Mythology Pointing to Jesus
Ever since I was little, I’ve loved reading mythology. The epic stories, heroic deeds, and imaginative worlds captured my imagination and solidified my love for fantasy books. But even better is when you can tell there is a beautiful truth underlying myths. I want to explore an example of mythology pointing to Jesus and how every human heart longs for light to vanquish darkness—a timeless theme of good overcoming evil.
I love when mythology points out a universal theme. In dark times, we ache for the arrival of dawn.
This seems especially relevant right now, as we’re all longing for a little more light in the world. Things have been pretty dark lately, what with the pandemic, racial injustice, divisiveness and more. So where can we turn as we’re looking for light?
Tricky Characters and Myths about Light
The examples from mythology I want to look at all tell the story of rebel gods stealing fire or light to bring it down to earth.
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How To Stay Connected From A Distance
This post is all about finding creative ways to stay connected while we’re apart. I’ve been planning to write this post for awhile, and because of quarantine and social distancing, now seems more perfect than ever.
I’m sure everyone is aware that these are very unusual times everywhere. In case you’re interested in what’s going on in my corner of the world: I’ve been home since March 5 at my doctor’s advice to protect myself from COVID-19. On March 16, Americans were asked to stay home as much as possible to flatten the curve (all schools in Washington were officially closed that day as well), and March 23 the Washington state governor issued a stay-at-home order.
To everyone who is taking this seriously and protecting those of us with weakened immune systems: THANK YOU. We can do this, and I have some tips.
If there is one good thing in the midst of all this, it’s that people are realizing how challenging it can be to stay connected when you can’t leave your home. As I shared in a Facebook post, oddly enough, I’ve been able to be more social recently because people are free to talk to on the phone and join video calls.
Chronic illness is super isolating, and the chronic illness community has a lot of advice for everyone experiencing this challenge. (For more on what this looks like in day to day life for people with chronic illness, I recommend this article from The Mighty.)
This post is for everyone experiencing this temporary change due to quarantine and social distancing, as well as though of us who are chronically ill and have had to adapt long-term.
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Reflections on Faith: Invited to the Throne Room
Do you ever just get struck by something about God that leaves you full of amazement and love for Him? I had one of those moments recently and wanted to share it.
I was listening to a podcast (this one, which I recommend) that is based on the book of Esther. After hearing the speaker read a few verses, I had to push pause because I was thinking about the throne room Esther was preparing to enter, and how much it contrasted to another throne room in the Bible.
Here’s a summary of the verses: Esther the queen is Jewish, but nobody, not even the king, knows it. She learns about a plot to kill her people, so she takes on what she sees as her God-given duty to save them. The problem? She has to go talk to the king, and he’s in the throne room. If you haven’t been invited there, the king could sentence you to death for even coming in—unless he extends his scepter to you as a sign that he’ll spare your life (Esther 4:10-12).
After listening to these verses, A LOT of thoughts were going through my mind.
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You Are SO Loved
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to remind you (yes, YOU!) that you are so loved.
While Valentine’s marketing often focuses on romantic love, love is so much more than that!
Ultimately, we can rejoice because we know we are loved by God. (I think it’s important to pause and remind ourselves, very often, that we are LOVED by the Creator of the universe. Seriously, how incredibly amazing is that?)
Here are some reminders of how much you are loved by God.
Feel free to share these songs and verses with those you love to remind them just how valuable they are. Valentine’s day is also the perfect time to our love for family and friends!
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Letting God Choose A Word For The Year
In the past, I have resisted choosing a word for the year because it has always seemed so arbitrary. I’ve seen other people do that, and then they seem frustrated when the random word they chose hasn’t magically panned out over the year. It almost seems like setting yourself up for failure to decide the year will be a certain thing, and then get disappointed when it isn’t. Especially if that word is a vague hope, vs. a goal you work towards.
But a few years ago, I listened to a podcast by the Ransomed Heart team about letting God choose your word/verse/theme for the year. (Here’s this year’s podcast on that topic.)
I found this perspective so refreshing and have enjoyed praying about what word and Bible verse God has for me each new year since. It has been a great practice for growing closer to God and bringing my plans and hopes for the year to Him.
