Bible Study and Bumper Boats

LauraAll Posts, Bible Study, Christianity, Discipleship, Expect Something Beautiful Podcast, Ministry

As the school year begins, many of us church-going-folks are signing up for small groups, Sunday School classes, and Bible studies. How are you feeling about all that? Excited? Ready to dig in and learn? Or are you feeling overwhelmed? Discouraged? Maybe even disinterested? I’ve been there. If that’s how you feel, this episode of Expect Something Beautiful is *just* … Read More

How to live like “words matter”.

LauraBible Study, Christianity, Faith

Have you had a frustrating conversation lately? You know, the kind of conversation with a friend over social media, or with a sibling over the phone, or your spouse across the table in which you are both speaking English, but things are going so miserably that it’s as if you are speaking two different languages. You’re arguing over words and … Read More

Don’t Miss This Gold Mine of Encouragement That Grew During Covid-19

LauraBible Study

Throughout this challenging season, the team at Revive Our Hearts has hosted Grounded, a daily videocast that infused hope and perspective into thousands of lives around the world. It is SO GOOD. Each 30 minute show highlights good news, upholds Scriptures, and gives us the opportunity to hear from a variety of Christians regarding a variety of relevant topics like … Read More

You’re Ready for the Coronavirus

LauraBible Study

By God’s grace, you are ready to face the coronavirus. You’ve been storing up the most important thing. You’ve been getting stronger in the most important ways because you’ve filled your heart and mind with God’s Word through sermons, songs, small groups, and Bible studies. While medical supplies, food, and cleaning supplies will be helpful to survive the coronavirus pandemic, … Read More

When You Don’t Let Yourself Off the Hook: Hebrews 9

LauraAll Posts, Bible Study

It was a sweet surprise that I’ll never forget. I was nine months pregnant and one week past my due date. I was enormous and uncomfortable. Every additional minute seemed like an eternity! To ease my troubles, my husband took me out for a meal to remember—complete with a generous slice of six-layer chocolate cake. When my husband tried to … Read More

When “Maximizing Your Potential” Isn’t Enough

LauraBible Study

I don’t know about you, but I feel so much pressure to make a name for myself, be all that I can be, and to maximize my potential. I feel like we’re all in a race to promote and protect ourselves, to achieve self-actualization the fastest. I’m so tired of focusing on me, me, me. That’s why today I’m asking myself, would … Read More

The Proactive Pursuit of Humility

LauraBible Study, Marriage

My husband thought that I was sitting down to write “the first chapter in a book about humility.”

“No way!” I said. “I’d have to be crazy to write a book about humility.” I was joking-not-joking…

What if You Were the One to Forgive First?

LauraAll Posts, Bible Study, Ministry

Sometimes, the greatest thing holding people together is a common enemy. Amongst friends, it usually works like this: someone hurts us and we gather our friends for support. What starts as love and support can quickly get overtaken by our mutual hatred for the person who hurt us. Sharing hatred gives us a sense of power over our enemy and … Read More

When I Can’t Stop. Being. Martha.

LauraAll Posts, Bible Study

Despite a week-long stomach bug, I am electrified by the seasonal jolt of tidying, purging, and systemizing. Even though I’m weak and can’t even think about food, I’ve been heaving boxes up and down from the basement, organizing closets/ drawers/ purses/ anything, and lugging the Christmas Tree out to the front porch where it will get a third life as a … Read More

Are you Content to Be Small?

LauraBible Study, Healthy Living, Marriage, Ministry, Motherhood

“Then the prophecies of the old songs have turned out to be true, after a fashion!” said Bilbo. “Of course!” said Gandalf.  “And why should not they prove true? Surely you don’t disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself? You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by … Read More