January 2021 Guest Post Sampler

Every month, I guest post at several popular sites. For your reading convenience, I’m gathering them into a January 2021 guest post sampler. Enjoy these previews of the posts, then click on the “read more” link.

A Prayer of Hope in the New Year

A Prayer of Hope in the New Year

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. Romans 12:12 NLT

In my last post for 2020 here, I wrote a prayer of Christmas hope for us. In this new year, especially in the difficult events in America this first week of 2021, I think we need another infusion of hope.

So, here’s another prayer to help us choose hope in this new year. May it inspire you to keep on praying throughout the coming days, weeks and months of 2021.

Keep reading my guest post for Woman 2 Woman Ministries HERE.

A Prayer of Hope in the New Year: We could all use more hope today, and here's a prayer to help you choose hope. #newyear #hope #trustGod Click To Tweet

How to Choose a New Year Focus

How to Choose Your New Year Focus

What are you focused on today?

Are you focusing on what’s wrong, how tough this year has been, or your disappointments?

Or are you focusing on the promises of God that hold hope and joy for the future?

I’m a glass-half-empty gal by nature. If I don’t have a guideline for focus, my thoughts point downward.

But three years ago, I found a way to narrow my focus on a single, hopeful point for the entire year. And this practice has totally shaped my mindset in new, positive ways.

Keep reading my guest post for Kingdom Edge Magazine HERE.

How to Choose Your New Year Focus: Practical tips to help you focus on God's Word this year. #newyear #focus #christianmeditation Click To Tweet

Prefer to listen? Here’s the podcast episode.


How to Face Hard Transitions with Faith

Here in the United States, our country is going through a huge transition of power. The transition is harder than any of us imagined it would be. It’s caused me to think about what the Bible tells us about how to face hard transitions with faith.

James, the brother of Jesus, had a bold approach to telling the truth. I think we can learn much from his words, written around 2,000 years ago, here in our day. I want to lead you through a guided meditation of James 4:1-12 NIV today, so we can all learn how to face the hard transitions in our life with faith, instead of strife.

Keep reading my guest post for Woman 2 Woman Ministries HERE.

How to Face Hard Transitions with Faith: A guided meditation on James 4:1-12 for difficult times like these. #transitions #change #christianfaith Click To Tweet

When You Feel Surrounded by Enemies

When You Feel Surrounded by Enemies

Do you feel like you are surrounded by enemies? Whether they are enemies in the physical, mental, emotional, relational or spiritual realms, you may be overwhelmed when you feel surrounded.

Yet, this guided meditation on Psalm 3 can give you encouragement and peace. Let’s pause and carefully think it through today.

Keep reading my guest post for Woman 2 Woman Ministries HERE.

When You Feel Surrounded by Enemies: A guided meditation on Psalm 3 for comfort. #comfort #trials #spiritualgrowth Click To Tweet

4 Reasons for Hope in Your Hurt

4 Reasons for Hope in Your Hurt

Are you seeking hope in your hurt today? I have four reasons you can put your hope in the Lord based on this passage of scripture.

We’re looking at Psalm 34:17-20 NLT today in my post at Woman 2 Woman Ministries. Keep reading HERE.

4 Reasons for Hope in Your Hurt: A guided meditation on Psalm 34 to give you comfort. #comfort #encouragement #christianliving Click To Tweet

 

Love Plus Limits

What are the two most important parenting approaches for a healthy, well-adjusted child?

Dr. Henry Cloud has a live show on Facebook every weekday. He is a Christian psychologist and well-known author. Recently, he gave the research-backed answer to this question.

One – a high degree of warmth.

Two – a high degree of expectations.

Both are needed together for the healthiest parenting environment. With a lot of warmth and high expectations, children are more likely to be healthy. Love plus limits equals success.

I’ve been thinking about this double-sided truth not only as a parent, but as a child of God.

You can’t have one style without the other and still have a successful turnout. A high degree of warmth with low expectations yields a permissive parent. This type of parent is more like a friend than an authority figure, but the type a child won’t really respect.

On the other hand, a high degree of expectations with a low degree of warmth will yield an authoritarian parent. This type of parent is cold and distant, without the grace that love and forgiveness brings. The type a child will fear and hold at an arm’s distance.

I’ve seen both of those parenting styles at work in my family tree and in other families I know. What I’ve observed to be true is both of those dysfunctional parenting styles – permissive and authoritarian – tend to produce rebellious children. Children who are hungry for love plus limits in balance together. 

The love plus limits approach is more likely to produce healthy, well-adjusted children.

My husband and I have tried to use the authoritative parenting style on our three children: warm, but also rather strict. Our children – two teens and one tween – are our pride and joy. They are well-adjusted despite the many parenting mistakes we’ve made. I believe they are thriving in a home where love is always on tap, while boundaries are firmly enforced.

You may not have grown up in a home with an authoritative parenting style. Many of us did not. Yet, your Father God is that type of parent to you. He’s far better at balancing love plus limits than the best human parent could ever be.

God shows us a high degree of warmth. 

Scripture says that God IS love (1 John 4:8). Our Father loved us so much that he sacrificed his only Son for us, before we were even born. His love is all-encompassing, all-knowing and all-forgiving.

God also has high expectations for us. 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT): You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

The gate is narrow because the expectations are high. Only a few are willing to go through it. The road to that gate is difficult. With our Father’s help, we can find it. We can follow Jesus’ example as we walk it. And the Holy Spirit will guide us along the path.

None of us enjoy receiving corrections. 

We sometimes bristle at the “rules” we find in scripture. But I think deep down, we want God to hold us accountable, just like a good parent would do. His expectations show that he cares. That he counts us worthy of the calling we’ve received (Eph. 4:1), because our Father wants us to become more like Jesus every day.

Love plus limits is the approach good parents use, and it’s the approach God uses with his beloved children. 

In which areas do you need more of God’s love? In which areas are you resisting his limits? 

Go to him in prayer today, relying on your perfect Heavenly Father to grow you in faith.

This post originally appeared at Kingdom Edge Magazine.

Learn the two most important things to keep in balance as a parent, and to remember as a child of God. #christianliving #christianparenting #spiritualgrowth Click To Tweet

January 2021 Guest Post Sampler

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