Life in Stride Tag

There is nothing like talking to a friend and hearing her words echo something God is producing in your own life. It is so validating and confirms that God is at work--not that I should need confirmation, but sometimes, I really do. I spoke with a friend about some difficult circumstances in her life, specifically her child's health. I told her the verse that is my, "Truth I'm Standing On." She excitedly blurted out, "That's the song I've been praying! I just don't know what to pray anymore, so I've been praying that song." How cool is that! Something that seemed so casual and unrelated spoke boldly into both our lives at that moment. I had no idea how much that song meant to her and what an encouragement it would be to her that God is listening. What a great reminder that God is in every detail. He orchestrates and uses everything in...

Most spiritual development books I've read take a matter-of-fact approach and read more like a staunch "how to" than an engaging novel. The Divine Adventure is different!  Pulling teachable moments from her own experiences, Rebecca embellishes the scene, drawing us in as she seamlessly weaves in Biblical truth amid the beauty of her prose.    FAVORITE QUOTE:  "When our hearts are truly after God, we discover that His intentions are kind: He equips, listens, understands, and will never leave us alone. He's a good Father who has no orphans -- He loves to help His children."   ABOUT THE BOOK:  Each of the 12 spiritual practices focuses on spiritual traits necessary for a fruitful relationship with God. These are key areas of our spiritual lives that can get muddied or off track. The one that spoke the most to me is Pilgrimage: The Lost Art of Adventuring with God. Rebecca says, "Going on a pilgrimage moves us...

Faith is a foundation word for our Christian heritage. It's the catalysis grace needs for salvation (Ephesians 2:8), and without out it, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Great Faith can bring healing, like the woman with the bleeding issue (Mark 5:34), and small amounts can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Visible Faith beacons people to follow Christ. Our Faith, great or small, is honored by God and multiplied by His faithfulness to us. If you need a faith booster, read Hebrews 11 and see all the evidence listed on behalf of Biblical legends who were people just like you and me. Their Faith was in the very same God we serve today. He has not diminished in power nor changed in His tolerance of sin. He is faithful.   __________________________________________ Susan E. Greenwood is a wife, a mother, and...

There is a place in the Appalachian Mountains that my family and I go to frequently. One of my sons works there right now. There are several different routes you can take to get there. One has a very winding road called "The Tail of the Dragon." It is an 11-mile stretch of road with 318 curves. The first time I drove it, it was by accident. The curves were so vast that the road fell off of GPS. I kind of panicked for a second or two, but then recognized, I grew up in a state called "Mountain Mama" (WV) I've got this.  It turned into a fun drive, and I've driven that way on purpose a few more times. The only downside is that the driver doesn't get to enjoy the scenery, but the journey has a beauty of its own.  The road ahead may be new or have some...

I met a dear friend at a writer's conference a few years back. She was a free spirit and such an inspiration to my very locked down spirit. I was envious of her ability to just relax and enjoy. She made public speaking look so easy and effortless. She was a natural.  As I toiled and prayed and worried and over-prepared for my presentation, Angie kept saying, "I'm just showin' up!" And she did. She knocked it out of the park and even enjoyed her time on the stage. Me? I did it, but there was no enjoyment on my part. I fretted my way through. Thankfully, God worked in both situations for a great outcome, but I would much rather have enjoyed the experience as Angie did.  "Just show up." Such great advice!  If you're like me, you suffer from the need to plan and maybe even over plan. No matter what it...

When my husband had a motorcycle, and I would ride behind him, he was forever coaching me to lean with him into the curve -- yet, everything within me screamed counter-balance!  But all my counter-balance did was make his job of keeping us upright more difficult. What eventually worked for me was not to lean right or left but to lean in. When I leaned into him, it centered us and made riding together easier for him and less traumatic for me.    Jesus invites us to lean into Him in this same way.  Lean into His forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love. Lean into His promises, provision, wisdom, and strength.  When we become ONE with Christ, we are centered in who HE is and what He did. We are secure in who we are because of Him and less likely to eat pavement in life's curves.    "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean...

As a year begins, I typically have a focus word or an area of spiritual growth that I feel burdened to work on.  Things like prayer, compassion, rooted and grounded, discipline… I didn’t this year…until yesterday.  Satisfied. That’s my word. It’s the longing of my soul.  I need to be satisfied…content….quieted…settled into who I am in Christ and in how that identity is carried out in every aspect of who He’s called me to be. …in this season of life, in work, relationships, ministries, in my health, in the mundane and the magnificent.  Satisfied. Isaiah 58:11 And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.     Susan E. Greenwood is a wife, a mother, and a mother-in-law :D. She has over 28 years experience in youth and children’s ministries. Susan loves to write blogs, articles, devotionals,...

"The closer to God you draw, the greater will be your disdain for sin." Dr. Richard Blackaby It's easy to play the excuses game and feel justified in sin, especially for a minor sin. "I'm not harming anyone, right?" How about the comparison game? "My sin isn't as bad as ____________. At least I've never __________. " What I'm actually doing is viewing sin from my perspective or that of the world, and, over time, I lose my disdain for casual sin and risk slipping deeper -- sin is never satisfied with small.   The danger: the farther away from God we slip, the easier it is to view Him as the problem, and we start to feel guilty for upholding His standard.   And, yeah, God's standard is high, but He bridged that gap to make sure ALL are without excuse. (Romans 3:23 and 6:23) Jesus paid for ALL sin -- big and small -- and the...

An Important Message from Derek WithrowRead
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