January 2022 Guest Post Sampler

Every month, I guest post at several popular sites. For your reading convenience, I’m gathering them into a January 2022 guest post sampler. Enjoy these previews of the posts, then click on the “read more” link.

Getting to Know the Saints of Old

Why do we need to get to know the saints of old? I share five reasons why this is important, plus three resources I’m using to do this in 2022.

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

Prefer to listen? Here’s the podcast episode:

Cultivating Joy in January

January can be a difficult month for many of us. For a long time, I have dreaded January’s arrival. However, I saw something that helped me cultivate joy this week…

Read the rest of my devotion for Woman 2 Woman Ministries HERE.

Prefer to listen? Here’s the podcast episode:

4 Spiritual Disciplines for the New Year

The new year is a good time to engage in a new spiritual discipline. These disciplines have been used by Christians for centuries, and they still apply to us today. There are several ones from which to choose, and we’ll look at four of them today and another four next month.

Silence

Last fall, I took a class at my church in which we used a devotional book that encouraged us to spend two minutes in silence before God, two times per day. We were told to quiet our minds and hearts during those two minutes and simply “be” before the Lord.

That simple practice was a powerful way to increase my peace level throughout the day. Sometimes I said nothing and just listened to the sound of my own heartbeat. Other times, I prayed breath prayers or told God over and over, “I love you, Lord.” In that short span of time, I knew I was sitting in God’s presence, and that felt so comforting and peaceful.

I encourage you to consider practicing the spiritual discipline of silence each day. You only need to close your eyes and focus on sitting quietly before God, receiving his love and returning it back to him. This simple two-minute window of quiet may grow your faith in surprising ways.

Bible Study

The Bible has never been more available to more people, yet biblical literacy is still very low even in the church. I can attest to the power of reading a portion of God’s Word every day, without any added devotionals or study materials. Just letting the Holy Spirit speak to me through the pages of the Bible has changed my life more than anything else. It can revolutionize your faith just as it has revolutionized mine.

You don’t need anything besides a Bible. But if it helps you to have a reading plan, notebook, devotional or something else, that’s fine. The point is to get into God’s Word every single day, so its power can transform you. You may like the reading plans on the YouVersion Bible app, or try out the guided biblical meditations on the Dawn app and the daily devotions on the First 5 app.

Prayer

To many people, it seems as if there is no other aspect of Christian living that is more frustrating, confusing or guilt-producing than prayer. Yet most Christians say they pray every day, and most believers say they want their prayer lives to grow. The main thing is to keep praying and not give up, and not worry whether you are doing it “right.”

God simply wants to hear from you. You can pray formal prayers like the Lord’s Prayer or memorized mealtime prayers to get started. I also encourage you to branch out and speak to God in your own words. You can use the ACTS framework – adoration (praise), confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (making requests). You can also pray more often for others by assigning certain people to certain days of the week. Use whatever method that helps you pray more often, and your prayer life will flourish.

Giving

Last year, I started tithing on every dollar I made. It took a leap of faith to give ten percent after years of just giving a little bit. However, I can’t tell you how blessed I am to tabulate up the money in my bank account, then give it back to God through my church and several ministries. It’s such a joy to give now, and I was missing out on that when I wasn’t tithing.

Prayerfully consider tithing your income. God will make up the difference, just like he has done for me. You will be blessed beyond measure if you follow this command from God’s Word, and you’ll experience the joy of giving too.

If you’re already tithing and giving, how can you give even more than you are giving now? Not just monetarily, but as investments of your time and talents? Ask God to help you be creative in your giving, and get in touch with a local church for ideas.

Next month, I’ll write about four more spiritual disciplines you can put into practice this year. I’m praying that you’ll grow in each of these areas as the new year begins.

The True Colors of Your Faith

In the highest-pressure moments, our true colors show. Yes, we are all human, and tend to head toward fighting, taking flight, freezing or fawning under intense stress. But when the momentary crisis subsides, our true colors come to the surface.

Read the rest of my devotion for Woman 2 Woman Ministries HERE.

Prefer to listen? Here’s the podcast episode:

Stepping Out in Faith:

Local writing workshop series to help people tell their story

I’m a speaker in a local workshop this February. Learn more information from an article in my local newspaper HERE.

Why Pruning Is Necessary

This week I’ve been reading Dr. Henry Cloud’s book, Necessary Endings. He has a whole chapter devoted to this metaphor of pruning. It reminded me of my days of caring for roses, and rang true with some recent changes in my life…

Read the rest of my devotion for Woman 2 Woman Ministries HERE.

Prefer to listen? Here’s the podcast episode:

January 2022 Guest Post Sampler

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