Tricia Goyer HomepageTricia Goyer

Living God’s Word One Step at a Time

You are here: Home / Archives for faith

faith

by Leave a Comment

7 Truths about Walking Out God’s Word

These 7 Truths about Walking Out God’s Word can help you find peace as you pursue God’s purpose in your life. I’ve learned that when I follow His ways I can rest knowing He holds my life in His hands. He is faithful, friend. He will give you the life you desire if you trust Him with the details. Let’s look at how we can do that.

 

7 Truths about Walking Out God’s Word

What God has accomplished through me always amazes people, as an author of 70 books, conference speaker, and mom of ten kids, they want to know how I do it all. Truthfully, I don’t do it all. There is a lot I say no to. But I’ve ended up where I am due to one determination. I’ve just committed to reading God’s Word and walking it out. When I take these steps to walk out God’s Word, He provides me with all I need to fulfill His call.

Twenty-eight years ago, I was a 17-year-old teen mom who committed her life to Jesus and dared to believe God could make something out of her life. Seeing the destructive path I was on, I dared to read God’s Word and do what it says. I talk about my journey in my newly released book Walk It Out: The Radical Result of Living God’s Word One Step At A Time, and here are a few things I’ve learned in the process:

1. God’s mandates are given for a reason.

Whether you realize it or not, God intended for us to do what the Bible says: take the gospel into all the world, care for the vulnerable, help the needy, tend to our most important relationships. These are guideposts that point us down the path of true living and eternal life.

For many years I assumed God’s will for my life was all about me. But as I actually did what the Bible said, I discovered there was a large world out there who needed Jesus, and God had a part for me to play. Yes, I found true living and eternal life for myself, but as I follow God’s mandates I was able to share God’s Good News with others who found true living and eternal life, too.

As we choose to walk out God’s desires for this world, we model for our children a better way to live. When we prayed and ask God what matters to Him, He will open our eyes to those around us who needed help and hope. And as we extend love to others, God’s love flows through us. When we allow Scripture’s mandates to direct our lives, we’ll discover a God-designed mission that will excite and delight us. Isn’t this the type of life we want to model for our kids?

As a young mom, I was asked to help start a crisis pregnancy center. I didn’t think I had time, but God reminded me of those who reached out to me when I was a teen mom, giving me hope. I started a weekly support group in 2000, and I’m still leading one today. My heart is full and I find great joy telling young women that they matter to God and that their children matter. Watching my passionate service, each of my adult children have discovered their own passions in varied and unique ministries. They reach out to others as they were shown.

3. Walking out God’s Word takes action.

It’s important to know God’s Word, but the time comes when God’s Spirit whispers, “Are you done learning about Me, and are you ready to connect with Me?” After we fill our minds with head knowledge, God wants us to place our feet on the ground and act. He wanted me to have a living faith that was undeniable to me and to all those He brought into my life. But the walking part is important. As James 1:22 says, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves,” (NLT).

4. To walk out what God’s Word we need to depend on Him.

“I used to ask God to help me,” said Hudson Taylor, humble missionary and founder of the China Inland Mission. “Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking Him to do His work through me.”

These words resonate with me because God took me on the same journey from independence to dependence. I’ve never needed God so greatly as I do when I walk out His mandates. When I’ve cried to Him in desperation; I’ve turned to Him in prayer more than ever. And that’s exactly where He wants me—wants each of us—to be.

We want to walk out God’s directive to share with those in need, but we often don’t know what that looks like. Seeing all the needs can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to ask, “God what is the one thing You need me to do today?” Then, do that, knowing God will tell the next step as needed.

6. Our calling is to become more like Jesus.

What is God calling us to do? How is He asking us to help and love the poor or to care for lost sinners? We can see how God wants us to act by seeing how Jesus loved and cared for people. Our calling isn’t to a specific job or ministry. Our calling is to walk as Jesus did.

7. Know your steps of faith define your future.

Dare I say it? Sometimes we step out of God’s will for us today because we’re trying to figure out what He has planned for us tomorrow—for our future. But when we walk out God’s directives and take steps of self-sacrifice, love, service, and compassion, we will discover God’s purpose for our future, and our family’s future, because our faithful steps will lead us to it.

“Who we choose to become and how we choose to live every day creates a trajectory for everything else,” said author Jerry Sittser. “Perhaps that is why the Bible says so little about God’s will for tomorrow and so much about what we should do to fulfill his will today.”

For years I tried to figure out God’s will for my life, but as I followed God’s Word—one step after another—I found myself in the center of God’s will. All I’ve accomplished has resulted from faithful steps of doing what the Bible says. Of course, the greatest success isn’t what I’ve done, but who’ve I’ve become on this journey with God. And who my children have become as they’ve followed me.

 

This post originally appeared here: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/7-truths-about-walking-out-god-s-word.html

by 2 Comments

6 Ways to Craft a Family of Purpose

Do you want to craft a family of purpose and chase God together? That doesn’t just happen by accident. Living a lifestyle with the freedom to follow God’s call requires us to be intentional. Let me share the steps we took to order our family so we could make an impact on the world for Jesus.

6 Ways to Craft a Family of Purpose

Many years ago my husband John and I set up a framework for our family. Identifying our priorities and eliminating what didn’t fit helped us to establish a family life filled with meaning and purpose, one that included the space to follow God wherever He would lead. Stated another way, we formed (created) our family value system and framework before we filled (added things into our lives.) The idea of forming and filling isn’t something we came up with on our own. It came from the first pages of the Bible.

In the first three days of creation, God “formed.” He established supportive systems necessary for life and humankind‘s existence. He created the heavens and the earth. He separated the waters from the land. He built the framework that would sustain his creation. The last three days, God “filled.” He filled his creative world with plants, flowers, animals, and humankind.

Problems come when we fill our weekly and monthly schedules before we build a structure for them. We make decisions out of our emotions or desires without contemplating their impact on us or our family. But as I’ve experienced, this never works. Few good things ever happened by accident. As John and I consider the type of people we wanted to be in the type of children we wanted to raise, Six priorities rose to the top.

Identifying our priorities and eliminating what didn’t fit helped us to establish a family life filled with meaning and purpose . . .

Click To Tweet

6 Ways to Craft a Family of Purpose

1. Attending Church

For us, church attendance has never been optional. God‘s Word is clear on this. We read in Hebrews 10:25  “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (NLT).

Attending church is important for our family and we are happy to set aside time to honor the Lord and gather with other believers.

2. Serving Others Together

We wanted our kids to learn how to serve, even from a young age. When I launched Hope Pregnancy Center, they helped remodel our ministry building by pulling up carpet and picking up trash. They folded baby clothes and stacked diapers. My daughter Leslie even babysat for a teen mom support group. At first I felt guilty. Other kids were outside playing or hanging out with friends, but I soon discovered that our kids were proud of their efforts, and it became easier for them to serve in other ways.

3. Reading the Bible and Praying Together

Every school Day morning we read from the Bible and a devotional book, then pray together. We do this first thing. I want to show my kids that reading the Bible is always a priority.

John and I also read the Bible and pray with each other in the mornings. We don’t succeed every day, but we do it most days. Our youngest children are often awake at that time, and though they know they can’t interrupt, they love watching us. Sometimes when I open my eyes after praying I find three little kids sitting at our feet, listening to every word. It is especially sweet when later, during their prayer time, I hear my words repeated as they pray for family members and concerns. Although having kids watch me while I pray sometimes feels awkward, I know it’s important.
It models for them what a healthy spiritual life can look like.

4. Eating Family Dinner Together

John and I decided our kids knowing each other and us was important, as well as face-to-face connection while eating a meal around the table. During family dinners we talk about our day and enjoy the conversation. We expect our kids to help out with these meals. Some of them help cook dinner, others set the table. Afterward our kids help clear the table and put away food, unload and load the dishwasher, wash pots and pans, wipe down the counters and sweep the floor. Together all these activities teach our children what being part of a family is all Out.

Reading at bedtime together one of my favorite times of the day is when I get the little kids settled in at night and it’s time to read. We turn off all electronics, the kids get ready for bed, and then we sit down together. Our adult kids still look back on reading time with fondness. We’ve never regretted the time we spent together within the pages of a book.

6. Supporting Everyone’s Talents and Activities Together.

Whenever one of our children is involved in an activity, we show up as a family to support them. This has included attending football games to watch our daughter in the marching band we’re going to statewide basketball games for our son. We want our children to know they are uniquely special and their whole family is cheering them on. These priorities lead to habits that fostered a more focused and settled spirit as a family.

I have no doubt that if John hadn’t stepped in and helped me learn to create white space and consider our family priorities and foundation, at least part of the foundation would’ve been built on sand. You can only be blown in so many different directions for so long without collapsing like a house of cards. Thankfully our family is now strongly structured and focused on the purposes God has for us together.

What causes you to add activities to your schedule? Do you worry about what others will think or fear that you’re not doing enough? Feelings of inadequacy and a desire to prove yourself can lead to disappointment. This week name one thing God is asked you to join him in but you have been unable to do because you haven’t had the time and space. How could you re-order your priorities and what activities or commitments could you give up to make room for God‘s calling on your life?

6 Ways to Craft a Family of Purpose

Want to learn more about how our family has made choices that support our goal of following God together? You might enjoy my book Walk It Out! Available now in my online shop: Walk It Out

Women often pack their lives with family, friends, and faithful service, yet still, end up feeling empty and unfulfilled. In Walk It Out, Tricia Goyer demonstrates to women that walking out the mandates of Scripture allows God to spark passion and mission within them.

Whether believers realize it or not, God intended for them to do what the Bible says: adopt the orphan, take the gospel into all the world, and care for the needy. These are mandates that point believers down the path of true living and eternal life.

Sometimes those steps are easy, but many times they require a move outside of what feels safe or secure. When women stop focusing on their own dreams and purposes and instead focus on God’s dreams and purposes, everything changes.

by 1 Comment

4 Ways YOU Can Bring God Glory | Kristen Tiber

These 4 Ways YOU Can Bring God Glory from Kristen Tiber will help you focus on making an impact for the Kingdom where you are today. Your message matters and you can bring His hope to a hurting world. Let Kristen’s words encourage you in this guest post.

4 Ways YOU Can Bring God Glory

Have you ever thought about the great heroes of our faith only to be left feeling a little insignificant? After all, did you care for the poor by the thousands, preach on the world’s stage or stir revival in the hearts of a nation? When we compare ourselves to some of those great men and women throughout history, it can be tempting to think that we have to accomplish huge feats and be at the center of attention in order to bring God any glory. But that couldn’t be further from the truth! God’s eyes are on you and His heart is for you. No life is too small to make an impact for the Kingdom and bring glory to the Father!

But how do we do it? What are some ways we can live our lives in order to bring Him glory? Believe it or not, it can be pretty simple. Not necessarily easy, but simple.

4 Ways YOU Can Bring God Glory

 

1. Be obedient.

Our culture doesn’t like the idea of obedience and coming under someone’s authority. However, a life lived under the authority of God not only brings blessing to the follower, but it also brings glory to God. When we abide in His ways, when we walk according to His laws, we are showing the effect of what He has done in our lives. As followers of Christ, we need to pursue what His Word says and not what our feelings try to dictate. He and His Word are the standard, and our obedience becomes a witness to those around us.
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they may accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:12

2. Be patient.

Patience has become an abnormal practice for the world in which we live. With the incredible advances in technology, we don’t really have to wait for much. Whether it is our Amazon delivery, our quick Google searches, or our Instant Pot dinners, we have grown accustomed to the instantaneous and immediate. However, Scripture tells us that patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and as we bear fruit, we show ourselves to be His disciples, bringing glory to the Father (John 15:8-11).

3. Examine and align the desires of our hearts.

What are the desires of our hearts? What is the motivation behind those desires? As believers, it would be good to take time to reflect on what it is we want and what it is that God may want for us. And on those occasions when our desires don’t line up with His, we would be wise to yield to God’s desires and plans for us. After all, the One who died for us, certainly has our best interests at heart. When we are walking in the path He has for us, we will give Him praise and glory!

4. Believe and trust God through times of suffering.

Throughout the New Testament, glory often appears alongside suffering. Paul connects the two ideas in his letters, and Peter often reminds his readers of coming glory in the midst of their suffering. And we also know Jesus experienced great suffering on the cross to be followed by His glorious resurrection. When we go through a season of suffering, we can find hope that not only will God infuse it with purpose, but also that we have a future glory to look forward to. (See Romans 8:16-18.)

When we can put the name of Jesus and His renown above our own wants and desires, above our own inclinations – when we can get through seasons of suffering with an expectation of how God will use it – we will see that the life of one person can indeed bring much glory to God, no matter how big or small.

Enter to win a copy of Greater Glory: Living Your Life to the Glory of God *Open International* Physical copies to be shipped to US addresses only*

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Kristen Tiber is an author, speaker, and women’s Bible study teacher. Currently, she and her husband, Dan, teach the high school Sunday school class at their church have enjoyed doing so for the last eight years. Kristen is a homeschooling mom to her two kids, Peter and Anna. A forever student of the Word of God, Kristen desires to see Jesus’ name and renown lifted up. She is passionate to see others grow in their love for Jesus and His Word. Her books include Teach Me To Serve, At The Well and Greater Glory. Kristen can be found at KristenTiber.com, where she encourages others to live with purpose in all seasons of life.

website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

More about Greater Glory: Living Your Life to the Glory of God

What does it mean to live for God’s glory?

Let’s find out together!  

Many people today will tell you that purpose is found in following your heart. Your career, relationship status, goals, and hobbies all center around discovering what you want and what makes you happy. But the Bible tells us that our purpose isn’t found inside ourselves. True purpose that will give us the greatest delight and satisfaction, that has the power to change the trajectory of our lives, is found in bringing God glory.

Join Kristen Tiber as she takes a fascinating look at the glory of God. As Kristen traces God’s glory chronologically through the Scriptures, you will look at: What is glory? How was it manifested? And what does it matter to us? You’ll discover meaningful purpose in your experiences and learn how YOU can bring God greater glory through your obedience, your patience, the desires of your heart, and your suffering.

This five-week women’s Bible study includes:

  • Individual daily assignments in the Greater Glory workbook
  • Free access to online, weekly Bible study videos streamed through www.KristenTiber.com
  • An optional Leader’s Guide for group study

This study can be used as an individual Bible study for women or for small groups.

Most women’s Bible study material today is geared for small groups in the church setting.  And while small groups wonderfully encourage fellowship, growth with others, and accountability, the price of the accompanying Bible study videos makes it near impossible for an individual to participate in the study alone.  Greater Glory is a 5-week Bible study workbook for small groups or the individual studying on her own.  Videos are free and accessed through www.KristenTiber.com.

Purchase a copy here.

by 1 Comment

How to Stop Comparing and Walk in Freedom

The older I get the more I realize how important it is to know how to stop comparing and walk in freedom. Life is short and God has called us to so many things. This guest post from Shannon Popkin will help you focus on the freedom we can gain in Me-free living.

 

How to Stop Comparing and Walk in Freedom

By Shannon Popkin

 

I came running home after school, crying so hard I could barely talk. My mom dropped everything, and through my hiccupping sniffles, I told her my third-grade woes.

It had been a standardized testing day. As the teacher passed out tests, she had given all the smart kids a red test booklet, but I got a blue one—just like the rest of the class.

For a while now I had been worried that my placement in our school’s gifted program was a fluke. I was pretty sure I wasn’t as smart as the others, but since I loved the program so much, I kept my suspicions to myself.

Today, however, the truth had come out.

The teacher knew. The whole class knew. And I knew. I wasn’t one of the smart kids, and I had a blue booklet to prove it. Oh, the humiliation! I wanted to shrivel up, hide, and never go back. I just knew that all the kids were whispering to each other and telling their moms, “Shannon got a blue booklet!”

Looking back, my third-grade angst seems rather pitiful and absurd. Why was I so worried about being exposed as average in a room filled with other kids with blue booklets? Why was I shrinking in shame, convinced that all eyes were on me? But then, I could ask similar questions about the angst I feel today. Why do I worry about being exposed as a less-than-perfect mom? Or a middle-aged woman who struggles with her weight? Or a writer who’s less than perfect?

Since childhood, my heart has been aching to know one thing: How do I measure up?

Do you struggle with this as well? On social media, in your neighborhood, at church or even at a stop light, do you glance sideways and compare?

How to Stop Comparing and Walk in Freedom

When Jesus came, walking in sandals on dusty roads of Galilee, he encountered people who struggled with the same measure-up comparison we do. There were puffed up Pharisees, disciples elbowing past each other, and tax-collectors who could barely lift their heads. Everybody wanted to be first and despised being last. Yet Jesus doesn’t respond like I expect, saying, “Y’all need to stop comparing!” Instead Jesus told comparison stories—like the one about the good Samaritan or the wise and foolish builder. And he compared people in real life, like when he told Martha that Mary had chosen what was better, or when he said the widow who donated two coins had given the most. Jesus used comparison words and stories constantly, but always with a twist.

Jesus’s way of comparing was upside-down from how things stack up in the world.

 

In his kingdom, the last will be first. The greatest among us is the servant. The one who humbles herself will be exalted. In his kingdom, people aren’t rewarded for rising above, but rather for stooping to serve. The great ones aren’t those who push ahead, but rather those who put others first.

So as Jesus encountered people who were steeped in me-focused comparison, he kept inviting them to come be part of the kingdom of the me-free. Whether they were filled with angst because they didn’t measure up, or pride because they did, Jesus just kept opening wide the gate to the kingdom and saying, “Come follow me.” Still today, Jesus invites us to detangle ourselves from the comparison stress of the world and live as he did—emptying ourselves of status, pouring our lives out, and laying our lives down.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul extended the invitation of Jesus to a new group of people—inviting them to the same me-free living that Jesus had modeled. He wrote,

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:3-7 ESV).

When I enter a room full of people with the measure-up mindset of the world, I constantly glance sideways, worried about how I measure up. I posture or project a certain image. I shrink back or avoid vulnerability. No matter which way I turn, I’m obsessing with me-focused comparing which is thoroughly exhausting. But when I have me-free mindset of Jesus, I step into that same room free of worry, pride, and stress. I’m able to simply focus on the other people in the room; to really see them and open my life to them. I’m free to wonder if perhaps God placed me there with a purpose.

Perhaps I have something I’m supposed to give!

Friends, what if it doesn’t matter whether we have a red or blue test booklet? What if it doesn’t matter how big our house is or what size jeans we wear? What if the woman with the perfect-looking kids is missing the point by trying to outdo everyone, and the one with the failing marriage is nailing it with her extravagant humility? And what if the thing that does matter is using what we’re given—our smarts, our bank account, or our physical self—to lean down and lift others up?

This me-free living which Jesus invites us to is what restores our freedom, confidence, and joy.

 

How to Stop Comparing and Walk in Freedom

 

 

 Do you compare yourself?

On social media, in the neighborhood, at church, or the school drop-off lane, do you push yourself to prove that you measure up, then feel ashamed when you don’t? Measuring yourself against others isn’t healthy. And it isn’t God’s plan. In fact, the way of Jesus is completely upside down from this measure-up world. He invites us to follow him and be restored to freedom, confidence, and joy.

Join me as—with humor and straightforward honesty—I share what I’ve discovered about my own measure-up fears and get-ahead pride in this six-week study. Together, we’ll explore the conversations Jesus had and stories he shared with people who—like us—were comparing themselves.

Let’s leave measure-up comparison behind and connect with those around us by choosing Jesus’s me-free way of living: lifting others up and pouring ourselves out

Shannon Popkin is a wife and mom, a writer and speaker, a small group leader, and Bible teacher.

She shares her life with Ken, who–after 23 years–still makes her laugh every day. Together, they live the fast-paced life of parenting two college-aged kids and a teen.

As a mom, she loves cheering her kids on from the sidelines and taking pictures of them (can you hear them groaning?). They love to open their West Michigan front door to family and friends and are deeply invested in their local church. She’s delighted with every opportunity to invite women to live like God’s word is true.

Connect with Shannon at https://www.shannonpopkin.com/

by 1 Comment

Using July 4th to Teach Our Kids About Our True Freedom in Christ

As we celebrate July 4th let’s talk about what true freedom is…

 

Using July 4th to Teach Our Kids About Our True Freedom in Christ

 

What did freedom for our country mean?

On July 4, 1776, a group of American colonists united together and declared independence from Great Britain. Trouble started between Great Britain and the colonies in 1760 when the British king, George III, needed money to pay for a recent war against France and to help run the empire. The king decided to tax the colonies to raise money, but the colonist didn’t like that one bit. Why should they pay when they had no say in the British government? They rebelled against “taxation without representation” and war broke out. Around the same time, a committee was formed to create a constitution of laws and rights for the new country.

Yet even after the people declared their freedom, they still had to fight for it. They continued to fight the Revolutionary War until 1783. It was only after they won their freedom that they could follow the rules they’d designed for their own country. They finally had the FREEDOM to live the way they desired.

What does true freedom mean for our souls?

Personally, we are not ruled by a British king, but we have our own BIG problem…sin.

Sin makes us want to do things that are the opposite of what God wants.

It isn’t something we can control. We cannot “try harder” not to sin.

The only way we can NOT sin is to invite a different ruler into our life…and that ruler is Jesus.

July 4th is a time set apart to celebrate our country’s freedom. We can also use it as a time to celebrate the true freedom that Jesus brought.

 

July 4th is a time set apart to celebrate our country’s freedom. We can also use it as a time to celebrate the true freedom that Jesus brought.

4 Ways to Celebrate True Freedom in Christ

 

1. Teach kids that sin isn’t just about making the right choices. It’s a matter of the heart. (Matthew 15:18-19)

2. Teach kids that sin came from men rebelling against God’s original plan. (Genesis 3)

3. Teach kids that everyone sins and falls short of what God wants, and because of sin, we cannot spend eternity with God. (Romans 3:23)

4. Teach kids that God understood the problem with sin and made a way for us to have freedom from sin. The freedom comes from letting Jesus clean the sin from our hearts. John 3:16 says,

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Before the big celebration begins, take time to pray and thank Jesus for the true freedom He brought. You can also read God Bless Our Country. God Bless Our Country teaches children the values of patriotism through July Fourth celebrations with fireworks, parades, picnics, and all the fun things families do together to celebrate America.

 

God Bless our Country

 

We have much to celebrate! And as the fireworks light up the sky, use that as a time to remember to celebrate all God has done.

YOUR TURN!

How have you used our patriotic holidays to teach kids about true freedom in Christ?

by 2 Comments

5 Things Teen Moms Need Most

Do you know a teen mom?  I was one.  Through my own experience and years of ministry here’s what I believe are the 5 things teen moms need the most.

 

Tricia Goyer shares 5 Things Teen Moms need the most.

 

5 Things Teen Moms Need Most

When I was 17-years-old I found myself pregnant. It was a second pregnancy actually. The first ended in abortion when I was just fifteen-years-old. Making the decision to have an abortion is something I regret. It left a hole in my heart, as many women who have had abortions have experienced. It’s no surprise that I kept looking for something to fill that hole and I found myself pregnant again.

Then, during my pregnancy, something happened that I didn’t expect. My mom and grandma’s Bible study group reached out to me. They invited me to the Bible study and they gave me a baby shower. During a time when I was dumped by my boyfriend and abandoned by friends, they were there.

I didn’t want their attention at first—I tried to push it away. But eventually, I accepted the love that they offered. I also accepted their words of encouragement. They believed in me and my future. They encouraged me to pray for my future husband and answered my questions about being a mom. These women didn’t let me think for one minute that my life was over. Instead, they led me to believe that I had a new starting point, and if I turned myself over to God He would make something beautiful out of my situation.

They were right. He has.

My son is twenty-six years old now. He’s married and has two young toddlers. As for me, I’m an author, speaker, and mom of ten kids (seven of which are adopted). I’ve been married to a wonderful, Christian man for 25 years.

Many people believe that what teen moms need is a wake-up call. They think they need tough love and since they got into this situation they must handle their problems on their own. But that’s seldom the most redemptive approach. Love made all the difference to me, and I see it making a difference to young women every week. Not only was I a teen mom, but I work with them on a weekly basis in inner-city Little Rock.

Teen moms need a lot of things, but here are 5 things teen moms need most:

 

1. Respect—When a young woman becomes pregnant, she is often disrespected by friends, family, and strangers. Yes, choosing sex outside of marriage is a mistake that can come with difficult consequences, but a young woman needs respect for choosing to have her child. She also needs respect for all she’s trying to juggle. Many young woman have to balance high school classes, ob-gyn appointments, work, and extracurricular activities, all while trying to plan a future for their child.

Your respect will tell a teen mom that her sacrifice is worth it!

2. Emotional support—A pregnant teen has a multitude of worries, and it doesn’t help when everyone around her thinks she’d ruined her life by becoming pregnant. It’s important for caring adults to spend time listening to a teen mom and offering sympathy and care. The heaviest burdens are those we carry alone. 

 

Tricia Goyer Shares in 5 Things Teen Moms Need Most

 

Be the person to help lift the burdens by walking alongside a young woman.

3. Space and Time—Teen mothers need time to sort through all their issues and problems. They have to make hard decisions, and these decisions can’t be made overnight. For example, the decision to parent a child or choose adoption may take months rather than days. Space and time are often needed. 

Don’t try to push her into your idea of what would be the best choice.

4. Grace—During my pregnancy,  and after I had my son, I wanted to be the perfect mom … talk about stress! Let a teen mom know that she doesn’t have to be perfect. EVERY mom messes up and makes mistakes. When a teen mom is given grace by others then she can give grace to herself. It also opens up the opportunity to share the grace that God offers, which is what we all need most.

5. Perspective—Teen moms often think that because they had a child that they’ll now never get the things they’ve dreamt about—like a good marriage, or a chance to go to college. Let a young woman know that her life doesn’t stop when she’s a teen mom. Tell her that she can start from where she’s at and turn to God in prayer.

 

Tricia Goyer Shares Wisdom in 5 Things a Teen Mom Needs the Most

 

A baby doesn’t close the door on a young woman’s potential.

She can find a godly husband, with God’s help. She can go to school and follow her dreams. Teen moms need to know that the months of pregnancy are just a tiny segment of the timeline of her life. There are still many years to grow into the person God has designed her to be.

I’m so thankful for those women who reached out and offered me these five gifts. 

Yes, the baby blankets and the burp rags that I received at the baby shower were helpful, but respect, support, space, grace, and perspective pointed me in the right direction and impacted me for life. Those are the best gifts I was given, and the ones I like to offer others as much as I can.

If you minister to teen moms, won’t you join me in sharing these compassionate, hope-filled, and helpful gifts?

~Tricia

 

Additional Resources:

Teen Mom You are Stronger Than You Think by Tricia Goyer

Being a mom is hard. Being a young mom has unique challenges. From a teen mom herself, Teen Mom speaks to your heart, sharing insight, encouragement, and practical advice to help you create a better life for yourself and your child.

Everything changes the day you discover you’re going to be a mom. It’s not just yourself that you think about–you have a child to care for, too. While you wouldn’t trade your child for the world, some days are just hard. Baby-daddy drama, dealing with your parents, and worries about school, work, and your future slam you. Your friends can’t relate to your little family, and you wonder if God has turned His back on you, too.

Tricia Goyer understands. A mom at age 17, Tricia remembers what it felt like to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, and she’s here to help you through it too. In this book, she pours out her heart and shares practical advice on:

  • Making decisions about work and school
  • Dealing with changing relationships with friends
  • Finding support as a single mom
  • Relating to the baby daddy
  • Handling hard days
  • . . . and more!

You are the great mom your child deserves! And you are stronger than you think. Go to Teen Mom.

 

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my newsletter, check out my podcast, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, or Instagram.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read full privacy policy here.

Filed Under: faith, family, teen mothers, Uncategorized

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my newsletter, check out my podcast, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, or Instagram.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read full privacy policy here.

by Leave a Comment

6 Ways to Build a Positive Family

6 Ways to Build a Positive Family.

Do your kids struggle with negativity? Are you constantly having to break up fights?Do you cringe at the words coming out of your child’s mouth? Do you wish everyone could just be happy and positive?

A positive attitude at home will leak into the rest of your child’s life. The “family” is where the foundation of a positive living is built. It’s our job not just to teach being positive, but to model it. Here are 6 ways to do that. (And they spell out the word F.A.M.I.L.Y! Stay tuned to the end of this post for a free printable.)

The “family” is where the foundation of a positive living is built. @TriciaGoyer

CLICK TO TWEET

Faith 

Our faith in God is the foundation for our attitudes. We not only represent ourselves and our families, but we also represent God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Because of Jesus, we can trust He’ll be with us and guide us. He’s not only caring for us on this earth, but He’s also preparing a place for us for eternity.

Remind your child that faith in God gives us confidence for today and hope for tomorrow.
Ask, “If we have faith in God, what can we look forward to?” (Lots of amazing, positive things!)
Guide your child to turning any negative interactions into positive ones by pointing your child back to God. “I know this is hard right now, but because of our faith can trust that God will turn things around for good.”

Attitude

Our attitude is a megaphone of what’s happening on the inside. Is your child feel unloved, unappreciated, or disconnected? If so, his or her attitude will show it. When you see a bad attitude starting, instead of beginning with correction, start with connection.

Remind your child he or she can tell you how he or she is feeling instead of acting out.
Ask, “If I could do one thing for you right now, what would that be?”
Guide your child to reach for you instead of lashing out. “If you need me to understand, talk to me. I want to be here for you.”

Mental Goodness

Mental goodness is one way of saying, “Think about good things.” Instead of replaying what you don’t like about your home, family, and school, try to find the positives.

Remind your child that bad thoughts will lead to bad actions and good thoughts will lead to good actions.
Ask, “What is one good thing you can think about right now?”
Guide your child to ask God to help him think about good things. Pray together about this.

Head over to thebettermom.com to read the rest of this post!

Download and print of Tricia Goyer's coloring page about having a positive family dynamic!

Are you ready to build a positive family that faces life’s struggles without grumbling or complaining?

Maybe you’re ready for The Grumble Free Year. Join our family of 11 as we navigate a year of learning to look for God in all things and to serve Him through grateful and thankful hearts.

Pre-order now and get these great FREE gifts! Order here: www.thegrumblefreeyear.com

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read full privacy policy here.

by 1 Comment

Why We Need Home More Than Ever | Nancie Carmichael

We need home more than ever these days. Which is why I’m so grateful that Nancie Carmichael wrote The Unexpected Power of Home for such a time as this. I’m so excited to welcome her to the blog today to share with you about Home.

Be sure to enter below for a chance to win one of three copies of Nancie Carmichael’s The Unexpected Power of Home!

We need home more than ever these days. Which is why I'm so grateful that Nancie Carmichael wrote The Unexpected Power of Home for such a time as this. I'm so excited to welcome her to the blog today to share with you about Home.

The Unexpected Power of Home

When you’re in the thick of raising kids, Home is where you keep things going: Brush your teeth, do your homework, pick up your socks! Share. Do your chores. Be good.

But some days you wonder if you’ve landed on an alien planet. Years ago, my husband Bill was on an extended missions’ trip to Africa. One night when he’d been gone for about two weeks, I finally got all the kids to bed after an awful day. Finally. I sat on the kitchen floor and sobbed. My nine-year-old son had thrown an egg on a neighbor’s house, and I was feeling like a Big Failure. I had been dramatic: “Jon, that’s vandalism!” After he’d apologized to the neighbor and washed the egg off his house, he told me that the neighbor swore at him and the other boys whenever a ball would land in his yard. Which, unfortunately, was a lot. Jon is now a married father of three and you couldn’t find a nicer guy. And all four of our sons went to college on athletic scholarships. So, things worked out.

But…Oh, how I wanted to do everything right! I would pray, Jesus, show me how to do this. Show me how to make our home a good place for these beautiful and sometimes challenging children. There was power in Home. I instinctively knew it but saw no easy answers or formulas.

Letting Go

Recently, my husband and I sold our home that was crammed full of memories. It was time to downsize, time to let go. I wondered, What was home all about, anyway? I began to reflect on the enormous power of it; how our earliest homes shape us for good or bad; how we, in turn, offer that life-shaping power to our own children. Out of that reflection I wrote, The Unexpected Power of Home.

Younger moms: Do you realize the powerful weapon you have at your disposal? The power of your home is what you do with it—just as the power of your life is what you do with it. Jesus used humble and ordinary things to teach important principles: Consider the birds of the air. Look at the lilies of the field. And so too, consider your home.

Home is many things. It’s our personal space where we have ordinary meals. We offer hospitality. We sleep there, play there. We Americans spend billions on our homes. But it’s possible to miss its power by focusing on its appearance and practical function. While this part of home is fun and important, the real power of home is people. It’s you, it’s me.

Take an objective look at your home, how it functions. Ask yourself:

• Is my home a place of refuge, a place of hospitality for my family and others? Does it feel “safe,” emotionally and physically?
• Is it a place of creativity? Does each person here have space to create?
• Does its atmosphere offer respect and comfort and a place of deepest acceptance and training to my children? What practical things can I do to make it so?
• Is there sacred space in my home? First, for me—and then for others?

The World Needs Your Home More Than Ever

There is a rhythm, a powerful nurturing in the common, ordinary meals…in sleep and chores and prayers. Nothing in life will ever challenge you like parenting in the intimate setting of home, where life gets real. The wilder and crazier life gets, the more we need the grounding of home. It’s where the gospel gets practical and personal.

If I had the chance, I would tell my younger self—that tearful mom that sat on her kitchen floor: Stay with it. I know you want to change the world. I know you often feel that what you are doing is insignificant. But the world needs you. The world needs your home more than ever. Jesus in you—and Jesus in your home can change the world.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Nancie Carmichael author of The Unexpected Power of Home

Nancie Carmichael author of The Unexpected Power of Home

Nancie Carmichael has been involved in writing and publishing for many years, including as co-publisher at Virtue Magazine, Christian Parenting Today Magazine, and now Deep River Books. Nancie’s many books include, among others, Lord, Bless My Child, written with her husband, Bill; Selah; and Surviving One Bad Year.

Nancie graduated with her MA in Spiritual Formation from George Fox Evangelical Seminary. Nancie and Bill make their home in Sisters, Oregon, and have five married children and 14 grandchildren.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

More about The Unexpected Power of Home

Nancie Carmichael author of The Unexpected Power of Home

Home is where the Gospel gets personal.

Nancie Carmichael’s passion is that The Unexpected Power of Home: Why We Need It More Than Ever will inspire the reader to see with fresh eyes the potentially powerful and life-shaping place that home is. Through home, we have the power to create an atmosphere of safety, of beauty, of hospitality, and of celebration.

While a practical book, it’s also a spiritual book. Home starts with us. Through making room for the sacred in our home, we learn to make room for the sacred in our lives. This book on home addresses these questions:

  • Have I really left home?
  • Am I content where I am now?
  • How can I be a person of hospitality and yet have solitude?
  • Why do I have so much clutter?
  • What does my clutter say about me?
  • Does my home inspire a sense of celebration in each season?
  • Is there joy in each season of my life?

 

As a mother of five children, Carmichael experienced with her family what it meant to have a place to grow and learn the most important things in life. Home is a place all of us eventually leave―and then look to find again. Home is a living, spiritual place that is reflective of who we are.

Includes questions at the end of each chapter to facilitate small group discussion and personal growth.

Purchase a copy of The Unexpected Power of Home
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | CBD

Are you new here? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram. And make sure you are subscribed to my newsletter.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read full privacy policy here.

by 1 Comment

Living Brave Every Day

Living Brave Every Day

Living Brave Every Day

I’ve never considered myself a brave person. I’m not one to bungee jump, and the best I’ve done on the ski slopes is the beginner’s run. (And with much trepidation at that!)

Stepping out and deciding to pursue writing was one of my bravest steps. Writing about the deep pain and struggles in my life—in my fiction and non-fiction—has been the bravest.

Yet I’ve done other things that are brave. Here are a few:

  • Adopting kids. John and I have adopted seven kids in the last five years.
  • Moving to Arkansas. We moved for a ministry position and found a new place to call home.
  • Inviting my grandma to live with us. She’s lived primarily with our family since 1999. She’s a joy to have in our home.

But as a writer there are other brave things I do, too. These are small, daily choices:

  • Putting aside my writing to take the kids on a nature walk, even though I have a pressing deadline.
  • Babysitting my two young grandkids and playing with them in the backyard, even though I have a pressing deadline.
  • Taking our kids to Disney on Ice, even though I have a pressing deadline.
  • Spending a day at Magic Springs theme park, even though I have a pressing deadline.

As I write this, I’m five days away from that pressing deadline. (Prayers are appreciated!)

Downloads33

Living Brave Every Day

Do you need a dose of bravery as you face hardships and challenges? Or maybe your “brave” is simply trusting God’s purposes in the midst of everyday life. Janet Thompson breathes life into women of the Bible, sharing brave choices and brave boldness. Yet she also reveals that bravery isn’t just about what we do, but how we believe—even in times of waiting and grief.

I love how Janet uses real women, with real challenges to help all of us face our fears and doubts in order to live victoriously. This is a wonderful book to read within a community or with a friend!

 

Get Everyday Brave here: https://amzn.to/30TmkyR

Living Brave Every Day

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

by Leave a Comment

Don’t Despise The Wait

dont despise the wait

Don’t Despise The Wait

In my life, I don’t have any real enemies, but if there is one intangible thing that I always seem to be fighting against, it’s TIME. It robs me when I need him most. It turns little cares into big concerns when it hurries on and I still have no answer. Every tick-tick it takes me one step closer to “never getting all this done.”

I remember a time in my life when TIME was particularly frustrating. TIME ticked away on a house that we really needed to sell. TIME meant money, as we paid a house payment for an empty house. It meant being unsettled because over half of our stuff was in storage as we rented in our new location.

Don’t Despise The Wait

Of course, even though I’d like to place a dark cape and a mask on TIME, that’s not where the problem is. TIME … and the ticking down of it … isn’t something I need to fight against. Instead, as God’s been revealing to me lately, TIME is a tool in His hand that is used to reveal what is really in my heart. Mostly, misplaced security.

Time is a tool in His hand that is used to reveal what is really in my heart @TriciaGoyer

Click To Tweet

I remember being frustrated because our house hadn’t sold in the TIME I wanted it to, and God showed me my lack of trust in Him … and my dependance on things of this world. He showed me that I look to homeownership as success and security. He pointed out my false heart-belief that when we bought a new home in our new location, only then we’d “arrived.”

God opened my eyes to this by leading me to Psalm 30:15. “My times are in your hands,” David said. God is in control of TIME. Of all the events that seem to take way too long. I needed to hear that.

Some lessons can only be learned over time … and discovering the truth that is in my heart is one of them. If our house had sold right away, and we’d moved into a nice place in our new city, I never would have realized how much trust I’m placing in things more than God.

God has also reminded me lately that He lives outside of TIME. What seems to take forever in my eyes is just a blink of an eye to Him. TIME may feel like it’s throwing me punches, but instead, it’s a tool that God’s using to mold and shape me.

So even though the clock is still ticking, I’m realizing more and more that God can be trusted all TIMES. He’s my security. And TIME isn’t an enemy when its in God’s hands. TIME is a tool.

Lord, mold me through the tick, tick, tock.

Time is not the enemy. God uses it to mold and shape us! @TriciaGoyer

Click To Tweet

Don’t Despise The Wait

Steps You Can Take

  1. When you catch yourself getting impatient, ask yourself “Why?”
  2. Pinpoint what is at the root of your frustration with time. Is it money, the unknown, insecurity, lack of faith?
  3. Surrender your requests to God, knowing he is in control of time.
  4. Wait patiently for God’s time, remembering to look for what God is teaching you.

Daily Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, 

I like to be in control and know what is going to happen next. Help me release that control to you and trust your perfect timing. May I catch myself in those moments when I start whining and complaining when it comes to waiting. Instead, help me take a deeper look at what you are teaching me. Continue to mold me and shape me into the person you made me to be … no matter how long that takes!

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Don’t Despise (Or Grumble during) The Wait

One thing I found when we decided to go grumble free for a whole year ( I know!) was that I hate waiting. It makes me grumbly and discontent when I have to wait for my kids to obey or my husband to attend to my needs.

But what I’m really saying in my heart to God when I grumble is, “Lord I don’t trust you to provide for my needs in your timing.”

OUCH!

As hard as that is to say, it’s the truth. An ungrateful spirit is really just revealing the condition of our hearts and it’s a lightbulb moment that can alert us to some real discrepancies between what say we believe and what we are doing. Facing this reality can be hard. But only when we see ourselves as we truly are will we be motivated to change. And changing for the better is what we want, after all.

The Word says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)

Lets not just be hearers of the word, let’s be doers. And we can learn to do it with a grateful and thankful heart! That’s exactly what we learned during our Grumble Free Year. A year that wasn’t always easy…but it stretched us and grew us as a family and healed us in a million ways.

Are you ready to go Grumble Free? Join us on the journey we took through our Grumble Free Year  here:

www.thegrumblefreeyear.com

be the change

 

 

 

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

by Leave a Comment

Be The Change

Be The Change

Lately, I’ve been thinking there’s a lot of things I’d like to change.
1) I’ve actively started exercising and using a food journal to lose weight and get in shape.

2) I’ve been trying to curb my spending.

3) And I’ve been learning to be more thankful.

All of those things aren’t easy!

#1 and #2 are things that I now realize need to stem from the inside out. I’ve tried for a long time to “make myself be good.” Now I’m praying for a heart change.

I’m praying that God will fill me up so much of Him that I naturally strive to do the right things in His strength and with His wisdom.

#3 started because I’ve been reading Something More by Catherine Marshall. It’s an older book, but a good one. In it Catherine talks about “thanking God in all things.” She goes on to encourage readers to thank Him even for the challenging/painful stuff. I’ve started doing that more, and it’s amazing what a different outlook I’ve had. Usually, I’m a joyful person because I try to ignore the hard stuff and instead just focus on the good. But lately I’ve been thanking God for everything easy and hard, and somehow He’s been showing me the good IN it.

I know these are simple lessons. They are things God has tried to show me in the past. In fact, one of the lessons He’s taught (and retaught me) is that I don’t always need to look for change from external means … sometimes I’m called to BE the change.

This lesson first fit home after our family moved to Montana and were looking for a church home. There was one that God was connecting us to AT EVERY TURN, but personally I didn’t like it much. In fact, even when John and I felt God calling us there, I REALLY didn’t want to go to that church. Even though the people were nice, the music wasn’t that great and there was no children’s program for the kids. Yet, instead of complaining about it, John and I felt God telling us to do something about it!

Once we became members, WE started doing children’s church and new families started pouring in. Over the years the church grew and changed. It has become the type of place I longed for. We’ve been going there for thirteen years now, and it’s home. Yet at the time, I didn’t realize that I was part of the change!

Be The Change

Today, you might be thinking about changes in your life. Don’t stop. Don’t become complacent! Remember that God wants to fill you and help you. He wants you to offer Him thanksgiving in the easy stuff and the hard stuff, too. And mostly, if there is change that needs to take place remember that often YOU are called to be the change. What you want most is out there in the future … have faith in that! Have faith in Him!

No More Grumbles

The Grumble Free Year was another instance when God spoke clearly to my heart that I needed to change. That we–as a family–needed to change. We were in a holding pattern of grumbling and complaining, dissatisfaction and discord.  The kids couldn’t go a day with some type of unhappy comment. That’s when I knew we had to make a change. We had to find a way to get in line with what God desired for our family–grateful and thankful hearts.

It wasn’t always easy and the results weren’t immediate, but after a year of no grumbling, our life as a family has radically changed. Now, instead of finding fault and looking for excuses, we find joy in the journey–whether rain or sun. We have learned to laugh at our struggles and look for God in the small inconveniences. Day in and day out we are growing and becoming more thankful for all we have.

I’ve been looking forward to sharing this journey with you since the beginning and now its finally here. And I’ve put together some great pre-order gifts for you as well that you can get when you pre-order here: www.thegrumblefreeyear.com.

be the change

 

 

Verified by MonsterInsights