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The Importance of a Simple Homeschool Schedule

Never underestimate the importance of a simple homeschool schedule. Does making a school-at-home schedule intimidate you? Do you resist the idea of a schedule “tying you down?” Or maybe you love the idea but you just aren’t sure where to begin. A simple homeschool schedule can guide your day and help parents and kids focus on what’s most important. But before I share my top tips, remember that no schedule is set in stone… simplicity also means flexibility!

The Importance of a Simple Homeschool Schedule
The Importance of a Simple Homeschool Schedule

 

 

The Importance of a Simple Homeschool Schedule

As a homeschool mom of twenty-seven years (with a large family!), I’ve had numerous schedules over the years. Because our family dynamics have differed from year to year, our days and our seasons also fluctuate. One year we had a new baby, and the following year my grandma needed extra care in our home. A few years after that, I had three children to teach, and the next year, we added four more children through adoption.

homeschool schedule

The important thing is to evaluate your current season and figure out what works well now.

Things can and will change. If something doesn’t work, try a different way. Remember, you are in control. Here are several things to remember when you go to create your simple homeschool schedule.

1. A simple homeschool schedule helps kids know what to expect.

This is true for virtual or hybrid schools as well. When kids know what to expect – and what’s expected of them – there is less anxiety and far less fighting. By knowing what comes next, kids can naturally prepare and adjust.

2. A simple homeschool schedule helps you develop daily routines and turn chaos into calm.

If you’re struggling with feeling like your life is chaotic, a routine can transform the craziness into a much calmer existence. Best of all, by creating a simple school schedule, your home and life will be more orderly. On top of that, you’ll also get more done.

3. A simple homeschool schedule will help you be more disciplined.

If you’re going to be successful as a school-at-home mom, you’ve got to be disciplined. No, you don’t need to run such a tight ship that every fifteen minutes is scheduled, but you do need to set up and follow a routine. Nothing good ever happens by accident. If you want something good to happen, put some structure around it.

4. To create a schedule that fits your needs, start by asking questions:

  • What would a great school-at-home day look like?
  • A year from now, what would I consider a ‘success’?
  • What values do I want my children to have when they complete their schooling?

homeschool schedule

5. Next, start to ‘form up’ your day:

With answers to these questions in mind, write down a list of everything you’d like to complete in a day. Put in even those little things that you always wished you had time for. (Maybe you have a book you’ve wanted to read for a long time – put a few minutes of reading in your schedule!) Based on your family’s priorities, add in or take out what will make your days run more smoothly.

Ask:

  • What works in my schedule?
  • Is there something I need to cut?
  • What do I need to add?

6. Have a start time to shoot for.

In my house, we prioritize sleep, so I don’t have an early start time for my kids. But it helps many homeschool parents to have a start time to shoot for.

7. Don’t try to make your day look like a public school day.

Your kids aren’t going to do well if you try to make them sit at desks from 8 am to 3 pm. That’s not necessary! Instead, set blocks of time for reading, math, science, history, Bible, and art. For example: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday can be your times to focus on reading, history, and Bible. Tuesday and Thursday can be for math, science, and art. Or, if you’d rather do each subject each day, ask your children what they’d like to do first.

 

Check out my book Homeschool Basics!

Let me show you what has worked for my family for over two and a half decades. I want to help you take unnecessary pressure off yourself so you can focus on what is truly important in your homeschooling journey. Get your copy here!

Homeschool Basics
Homeschool Basics

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Homeschooling Success Can Be Yours Today!

Believe me when I tell you – homeschooling success can be yours. Let me tell you how I made it work for our family and how you can, too!

Homeschool Success Can Be Yours Today!
Homeschool Success Can Be Yours Today!

Homeschooling Success Can Be Yours

18 (short!) years. That’s all I had.  And with some of my adopted kids joining our family late in life, I knew I had even less than that with them. I wanted to pack my children’s lives with meaning. I wanted to give them the best life I could. Because someday, I want to stand before God and be able to say I had done all I could to raise my children to love and follow Him.

But something was holding me back. As I lay awake at night, it was like a weight sitting on my chest… the possibility of homeschooling.

I realize now, that weight was fear. I was scared that homeschooling would require me to kiss my dreams goodbye. That if I homeschooled, my kids would emerge into adulthood as weird, socially awkward creatures that people would roll their eyes at and say, ” Oh, they must have been homeschooled.” Most of all, I was afraid homeschooling would turn my life upside down.

In many ways, it did.

My dining room table was suddenly taken over by books and papers, and my thoughts became consumed with worries about curriculum, homeschool co-ops, and conferences. I worried, “Am I even qualified to do this?” My school-aged kids were home all the time, so I had no time for myself.

But as the days passed into months, and months to years, I started to notice a few things:

My kids were playing outside when other kids were stuck at their desks all day.

My kids truly loved learning and viewed the world as their classroom. They loved the Lord and were excited to serve Him.

These kids raised at home weren’t socially awkward – in fact, they loved talking to adults and could strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere.

I felt like I knew my kids – really KNEW them.

I was confident I could give them each the individual attention they needed to be successful. Homeschooling had made it possible for me to reach them despite their different levels, abilities, and challenges.

Not only that, but I found I did have time for myself – time to write and publish books, serve moms in my community, and host a podcast.

So, I guess you could say that homeschooling did turn our lives upside down. But, 10 kids and many years later, I realized the truth:

Homeschooling didn’t turn our lives upside down. It turned our upside-down lives right-side-up.

Now, I want to offer the same gifts to YOUR family: the rich gifts of home education.

 

Homeschooling Success Can Be Yours!

They say bravery isn’t the absence of fear, it’s moving towards the thing you fear anyway. Maybe you’ve got fears, concerns, and questions. I’m here to tell you that’s OK. In fact, it’s actually very normal.

“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?”

Luke 14:28

You are right to consider the cost, and that’s exactly why I designed the Homeschool Success Course with you in mind. I know the cost and I know that the gift of a homeschool education to your children and your family is worth it. And I’m here to help you!

I’ve put my heart and soul into developing a course for you that outlines the most important aspects of homeschooling:

  • Creating a positive home environment where your children will thrive and learn.
  • ​Inviting your kids to join you on their education journey.
  • ​Understanding the basics of homeschooling laws and what it really takes for your kids to graduate and go on to college.
  • ​Discovering your gifts as a homeschooling teacher.
  • ​Finding extra help for special-needs kids.
  • ​… and more!

Homeschooling Success Can Be Yours

You can bypass the stress, confusion, and exhaustion I experienced in the early years. You can skip straight to the meaningful, fun adventure that comes with schooling your kids at home! Because I care, I’ve compiled my best tips and tricks, making it easy for you to give your family the rich gift of homeschooling. 

Don’t Wait!

You can proceed confidently and wisely. You can start your homeschooling journey with an entire toolbox of knowledge and inspiration. 

Can you imagine what life will be like when you create a positive homeschooling environment where your children thrive and learn? And where you feel peace as a homeschooling mom?

Let me show you how! Learn more about The Homeschool Success Course now!

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When is the Homeschool Day Over?

When is the Homeschool Day Over?

When is the Homeschool Day Over?

When is the Homeschool Day Over? Out of all the questions that people have about homeschooling, this one tops the list. As a new homeschooling mom, I wondered this myself. With all the wonderful plans we have for giving our kids the best education ever, we can sometimes lose track of time. Don’t let the day go on too long and face burnout. Learn from my veteran advice.

While the answer varies with each family, here are a few things to consider when it comes to setting a homeschool schedule, keeping on track, and knowing when the homeschool day is over.

1. Homeschooling doesn’t take as long as you think.

Unlike public schools, homeschool subjects take less time to teach. Instead of a teacher teaching and overseeing twenty-five or more students, you have far less. Even if you’re teaching multiple grades at once, you won’t spend time controlling a crowd, making sure everyone understands, and moving from room to room. For early elementary grades, homeschool lessons can be completed in 2-3 hours. Older kids take more time, but an added benefit is that when the homework is done, it’s done. Since schoolwork is done during the day, you don’t have to spend time on added homework in the evenings.

2. When setting your homeschool schedule, remember you can shorten your homeschool day by teaching kids together.

Homeschool would take more time if you were teaching complete sets of curriculum for all of the first grade, third grade, and fifth grade (or whatever ages your kids are). I’m currently homeschooling ages 12, 13, and 15. We do Bible Study together, and I read aloud missionary stories and historical novels to all my kids. This not only builds family bonds and saves money … it saves time too. I’ve learned to teach to the older kids and then add fun activities for the younger kids to help them understand the concepts at their level.

3. Start with the difficult and demanding subjects when setting your homeschool schedule.

If you do the fun subjects first, then the day can drag after you finally get to the hard stuff. Yet if you start with the hard stuff, then the day seems to go quickly once that’s done.

4. Don’t forget breaks!

Breaks are important, both for you and your children! Give your kids time to play outside, do crafts, or read on their own. So while officially you haven’t called the homeschool day over yet, you can schedule in time for yourself.

5. Don’t fill your day with so much that your schedule doesn’t end.

The curriculum is your guide, not your boss. The purpose of the curriculum is to provide structure and direction. Teacher lesson plans are lists of ideas. No one is expected to do it all! Not even private or public school teachers finish every lesson. (It’s true, they’ve told me!)

6. Know that even if your homeschooling day is officially over, every part of life can be considered “schooling.”

The way you shop, spend time with friends, and work, will change because you’re giving a large part of your day to your kids. That being said, there are so many aspects of everyday life that you can choose to be teaching times if you’re creative. Grocery shopping and running to the bank can be great lessons. You simply have to be imaginative and realize your lifestyle won’t look like those of most folks around you.

7. Capture the teachable moments.

I was leaving the doctor’s office with my three, young kids when a homeless man approached us. He was in a wheelchair, and he was missing a leg. I’d just gotten the kids buckled into their car seats when he approached asking for food. I “just so happened” to have a packed lunch that my Bible Study leader gave to us. I also had recently been to the bakery, and I’d picked up some donuts for my grandma for a treat.

I gave the man lunch and offered him the biggest donut. His eyes grew wide. “Is this cream-filled?” It turned out it was and the man’s face filled with joy. He ate it with pleasure.

It was only as I backed away that I realized my kids had been watching the exchange. Even though I never intended it to be, that was a teachable moment.

On the drive home, we talked about homelessness. We talked about caring for those who God brings in our path. We talked about sharing what we had. We talked about kindness. And that night—as the kids shared our experience with their dad—we talked about it again. And the next day we decided to pack up care packages with water bottles, snacks, and spare change to keep in the car. We also started reading a book for homeschool, Tales of the Not Forgotten by Beth Guckenberger.

Offering what we had to a homeless man, talking about homelessness as we drove home and later at dinner, creating care packages was schooling. Reading a book about needs around the world and those who are helping them helped us understand it even better, too.

8. Your kids learn just as much from real-life conversations as anything else.

I talk about real-life stuff during fun times, like when we’re enjoying popcorn or picking flowers outside. It’s then that kids are more likely to listen.

Ron Rose, author of Seven Things Kids Never Forget says, “Learn the art of meandering conversation. When you’re working a puzzle with your kids or riding in the car together, talk about worries or other crisis times. As a way to get started, use something you heard about, something you saw on TV, or something that happened to you as a child.” I especially love the idea of sharing stories from my own childhood. There are lessons each of us have learned that can be passed on to our kids.

9. And even when the official schooling day is over, be present.

Any time of the day, when my children ask me a question, I either answer it or let them know when I can answer it. Eye contact with my children makes a big difference. When I take time to focus on their faces and make an effort to smile, a connection is made. My children know I’m available and I care.

While a school-at-home day is done when the basic subjects are covered, schooling together also creates times for more connections and interactions during the day. Your daily school schedule will be different than anyone else’s, and that’s okay. Focus on helping your kids love to learn and enjoy time together, and you’ll go a long way!

Additional Resources

Have you checked out my Homeschool Success Course yet?

Let me share all the practical tips and tricks I’ve learned to:

—Homeschool multiple levels in four hours a day.

—Understand the basics of homeschool laws and what your kids need to graduate and go to college.

—Discover your gifts as a homeschool teacher.

—Finding extra help for special needs kids.

…and so much more!

Here is my welcome module to give you a glimpse of this course!

 

YOU can give the gift of a homeschool education to your family by joining me here: www.homeschoolsuccesscourse.com 

 

 

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How to Walk Out Your Healing

The way you walk out your healing can affect not just your own life, but also the lives of your children. Facing our past mistakes and finding forgiveness and healing in Christ is so important. Today, I share I found healing through walking out my faith and how that affected our family.

How To Walk Out Your Healing
How To Walk Out Your Healing

 

Walk Out Your Healing

When my daughter was 13, I called her “mini-me.” When she answered the phone, people often thought it was me. Leslie has the same tone as me, and her voice carries the same inflections. Even though she had her own collection of CDs, she would often rifle through mine because she liked that music, too. She learned to put on makeup by watching me, and when she would see me engrossed in a good book, she would naturally want to read it. Even now that she is a grown adult, I see so much of myself in my daughter. She has many of my same convictions… And also some of my hang-ups.

When our kids are toddlers, we think it’s so sweet when they pick up a block and place it to their ear like a cell phone. But the older they get, the more they’re mimicking matters, and if they aren’t dealt with, the rock-solid bad habits in your life will most likely be theirs, too.

 

Walk Out Your Healing

In those days when you were slaves of sin, you weren’t concerned with doing what was right. And what was the result? It was not good, since now you’re ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

Romans 6:20-22 NLT

What I love about that scripture is the fact that Paul isn’t trying to play down the past. Instead, he reminds fellow believers that what matters is what we are now free from the power of sin and slaves of God.

The word free here means “to liberate,” and this word has special meaning to me personally. Several years ago I wrote my first novel, From Dust and Ashes. It’s about liberation from a Nazi concentration camp from the points of view of both an American G.I. who opens the camp gates and a prisoner inside. To write the book, I interviewed both veterans and survivors alike. I also attended a ceremony in Austria organized by the survivors to celebrate their liberation 60 years after the fact!

Author Tricia Goyer shares the captivating story behind her book From Dust and Ashes

Walking In Freedom

These men and women — prisoners of the Nazis – had been near death, oppressed, and hopeless. Yet their victors came to open the gates and offered them not only hope but a future too. Once they walked from those gates, they were prisoners no more. They were liberated. They might revisit those times of bondage in their mind, but they no longer had to live behind the barbed wire. They did, however, have to realize their freedom and live in it, no longer behaving as if they were still in bondage. Likewise, if we don’t know the joy of true freedom in our hearts, how do we expect to lead our kids in the same freedom?

Kids go where we take them, they have no choice. How sad it would be if our own inner struggles pulled our kids back to our own past issues… Merely because we ourselves have not yet fully realized our freedom in Christ.

Walk Out Your Healing

It’s taken me years to deal with some of the issues from my past. I’ve attended Bible studies for women who’ve had abortions. I helped start a crisis pregnancy center in our community. I’ve spoken at purity retreats for young women. And I’ve mentored teen moms. For me, healing from my past involves helping others who face the same struggles. My heart is renewed when I help others find hope.

The additional benefit is that my children now have a mother who has wholeness in Christ. They’ve heard about my mistakes, and they’ve seen me reaching out. They’ve also gained conviction in these areas, following what I say . . . and what I do.

Now, it’s your turn. How have you walked out healing in your life? What has God done to liberate you from your past? Share your testimony with me in the comments!

Walk It Out

Tricia Goyer Walk it OutYou’ve heard the phrase Trust God. It’s easy to say but can be hard to do. But what if you did it. What if you did the things that God asked you to do and solely relied on Him? Women often pack their lives with family, friends, and faithful service, yet still feel empty and unfilled. Bestselling author Tricia Goyer has been where you are. She gets it and knows that the only way to live a fulfilling life is to walk it out with God.

Walk It Out: The Radical Result of Living God’s Word One Step at a Time is a resource that teaches women how walking out the mandates of Scripture will allow God to spark passion and mission within them. Goyer teaches women, of all ages, how to:

    1. Use your healed heart to love and serve
  2. Create space and craft purpose
  3. Give generously without question
  4. Be vulnerable
  5. Truly love your family
  6. Do the work that God has given you to do

 

This book is for women:

  • struggling with anxiety or depression
  • feeling like they lost their way and are living by comparison
  • who feel like they’re never enough and always too much
  • searching for ways to develop a closer relationship with God
  • raising families while facing crossroads

Sometimes the steps we take in our faith 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. Get your copy of Walk It Out today!

 

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Friendship Breakups, Church Hurt, Mental Health, and Confessions of a Crappy Christian

Friendship Breakups, Church Hurt, Mental Health, and Confessions of a Crappy Christian

Why does it so often feel like Christians can’t talk about the real, hard stuff in life?

We know our lives should reflect Jesus; what He did and said, and how He interacted with others. But if we’re being honest, there are days when we face tough, confusing things that can make us feel, well, very not like Jesus. As our culture moves further from truth and grace, Christians are burned-out, isolated, and unsure of where to turn for sound biblical advice that applies to their everyday struggles. If you’ve ever felt this way or wished someone would talk about things like forgiveness, mental health, broken friendships, redirected dreams, sex, facts versus feelings, church hurt, rest, weakness, healing, and more in honest, down-to-earth terms while sticking to what Scripture has to say about them, you’ve come to the right place.

Confessions of a Crappy Christian is for you if you

  • have ever thought you’re too messed up for church
  • feel exhausted and alone in your struggles
  • think you need to complete a checklist before God will love you
  • need a friend who cares about you too much to let you stay stuck

With honesty and vulnerability, Blake Guichet, host of the popular podcast Confessions of a Crappy Christian, helps us embrace the truth that we can’t do it all perfectly and gives us the wisdom, guidance, and hope to move from “crappy” Christian into a freer and fuller walk with Christ.

Mentioned in This Episode

Confessions of a Crappy Christian | Blake Guichet
Download the audiobook!
Confessions of a Crappy Christian the Podcast
Heart Happy | Tricia Goyer

Connect with Blake Guichet

Website | Instagram | Podcast

We weren’t meant to go through life alone. —Blake Guichet

If you are enjoying the show, I have a quick favor to ask! If you haven’t yet hit the subscribe button and left a rating and a review on iTunes, please take a moment and do so! I love reading your reviews and it keeps the algorithms happy so new listeners can find the podcast as well!

Thanks to this week’s Sponsor Christina Suzann Nelson’s What Happens Next

Click the Graphic Below to Watch This Interview on YouTube

Do we really believe He [God] not only loves us, He likes us? —Blake Guichet

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When the Story That Brought You Shame Becomes Your Life-Impacting Testimony

Have you ever wanted to have a life-impacting testimony as a Christian? But maybe you felt that your story was only one full of guilt, shame, and mistakes?  Today I want to tell you about how my story, which brought me great shame, actually became my life-impacting testimony. 

Have you ever wanted to have a life-impacting testimony as a Christian? But maybe you felt that your story was only one full of guilt, shame, and mistakes?  Today I want to tell you about how my story, which brought me great shame, actually became my life-impacting testimony. 

When the Story That Brought You Shame Becomes Your Life-Impacting Testimony

It was a simple, Thursday Bible Study, in a small California town. I sat there with six young moms from my church. At the time John and I had been married three years, and we were the parents of a preschooler and a toddler. I’d dedicated my life to God when I was pregnant with Cory at age seventeen, and I prayed for a future husband. God had brought me John, who loved Cory as his own. And now we had a baby together.

Yet while everything looked happy on the inside, I carried within a deep chasm filled with pain, shame, and regret.

As I sat in that Bible Study, the other women talked about abortion. My chest grew tight, my heart pounded, and a large border grew in the pit of my stomach. I was certain they’d hate me if they knew that I’d had an abortion at age fifteen. Even though I looked as if I fit in with these church women, everything within me told me I didn’t. I mean, what about my testimony?

I certainly didn’t have a life-impacting testimony, in fact, I didn’t feel like I had a testimony at all!

Many years prior, I’d prayed and asked God to forgive me for my abortion, but I couldn’t forget … and I couldn’t forgive myself. I was acting the part, but I felt like a traitor. Looking back, I can easily spot the accusations and the lies. The enemy of my soul hissed that I didn’t belong–with God or these women. It didn’t take much to convince me that it was true. And so I sat silent as they talked, sitting face-to-face but feeling a sea of pain-blocking my friends from getting close. I had made bad decisions, and I’d carry the pain forever … or so I thought.

My life remodeled into a Life-Impacting Testimony

Just a few years later, I sat in another Bible Study. We were in Montana then, and I had three kids, all six and under. Tears streamed down my face, and lightness and joy flooded my heart. I had shared about my past and my sinful decisions, and these women embraced me. They cried with me. It wasn’t a different state or church that had changed things. It wasn’t different women that had made the difference … it was me. I finally had shared the truth of what I’d done, as painful as it was. They understood my pain because each of them had also made the decision to have an abortion. Confessing to each other, and seeking to accept God’s forgiveness, was something we were doing together. When I shared my story the chains of darkness that had held me captive released, giving me freedom. The story that had brought me shame had become my life-impacting testimony.

Each of us carries pain. Sometimes it’s due to our bad decisions. Sometimes it’d due to others’ bad decisions, And sometimes the pain is there because we live in a broken world and bad things happen to good people.

 

How the Pain got there is not as important as what you do with it...Tricia Goyer

 

How the pain got there isn’t as important as what we choose to do with it. We can either live under pain, shame, and regret. Or we can choose to lift up our dilapidated hearts to Jesus and ask Him to do some remodeling work within our souls.

When we choose to seek healing, we’re not only doing it only for ourselves. Our families and friends benefit too. When we seek healing we’re choosing to offer our whole selves to God and to others.

When we seek healing we're choosing to offer God, and our family, all of ourselves.

What we can learn from Paul and Bathsheba

There are many examples of those in the Bible who allowed their lives to be remodeled by God. Paul was one of them. A former persecutor of Christians, he became a disciple and an evangelist. His “after” looked nothing like his “before.” Paul acknowledged his sin, but he also embraced his forgiveness. He didn’t carry his burden of shame. Instead, he used his story to remind others that God can forgive anyone and remodel anyone. Paul set himself up as proof.

Another person in the Bible that tugs at my heart is Bathsheba.

While many preachers have accused her of being a harlot, there is no evidence in God’s Word to that fact. What we do see is someone who was abused by a man in power, and who lost a husband and a child. None of this was in her control. If anyone had the right to live bitter and angry, it would have been her, yet when we see her years later Bathsheba is bold. She reminds her husband King David that he promised that their son Solomon would be king. And her son Solomon not only took the throne, but he was also the wisest king who ever lived. Bathsheba could have hidden herself away and got stuck her pain, who wouldn’t do that? Yet somewhere in the arch of her story, she began to see a new picture of what her future could be.

This wasn’t the life she’d chosen, but she trusted that God could bring good out of pain.

Walk it Out Podcast


Walk It Out Episode #101 Reconstructing Our Lives with Natalie Chambers Snapp. Natalie is peeling back the layers of Bathsheba's story to teach how we can grow in wisdom and courage — you don't want to miss this episode! You can have a life-impacting testimony!

Last week I released a podcast with Natalie Chambers Snapp, and we talked about Bathseba’s story … and how her story can apply to ours. Natalie’s book, , sheds new light on this familiar story, by telling it from this woman’s point of view.

The Bathsheba Battle- for your life-impacting tesimonyAnd, as she walks you through Bathsheba’s story, Natalie addresses some of the common responses to life’s disappointments, offering encouragement and practical help for sorting through suffering as well as moving forward on the healing journey.

I love this quote from Natalie’s book,

“When we keep our pain in the dark, we give the enemy the reigns. But when we surrender that pain in the light, we give the reigns to God.”

Sometimes the pain comes from our choices. Sometimes the pain comes from the choices of others or because this world is just stinking hard.

 

When we keep our pain in the dark, we give the enemy the reigns, but when we surrender that pain in the light, we give the reigns to God.--Natalie Chambers Snapp

And this quote from Strong, Brave, Loved by Holley Gerth speaks directly to this too. (See, I told you I was reading this book during my morning quiet time!)

“And the enemy is not ourselves. There’s a reason we use the phrase “beating ourselves up.” When we think the problem is us, we become harsh toward our own hearts. But our primary battle isn’t against any person–including ourselves. And the lies we hear have the same sources as the first lie spoken to Eve in the Garden. If you are a woman in this world, you are at war. It is not optional. And while you may not go roaring into battle, at the very least you need to know basic spiritual self-defense.” –Holley Gerth

To have our life remodeled, we need to start by having our thoughts remodeled, remodeled with a foundation of God’s forgiveness, and remodeled with a shield of faith that combats the enemy’s lies. Is it time to allow God to remodel your heart and life? The answer to that question is … yes! You will never regret opening up your heart to Him.

 

God can give you a Life-Impacting Testimony!

 

But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. Philippians 3:13

If you’re ready for some reconstruction, and to turn your shame into a life-impacting testimony, here are some of my posts to get you started.

To Read:

Part 1 and 2 of my abortion story:

How to be Transparent: Tricia Goyer's life-impacting testimony of healing from abortion.

How To Be Transparent

Learning to Face The Truth- Tricia Goyer shares how she found freedom from the shame of her abortion. The Lord has given her a life-impacting testimony!

If you question if God can still use you, and truly give you a life-impacting testimony I promise He can.

To Listen To:

 

Podcast in the blog post about Tricia's life-impacting testimony

 

Writers Wednesday

writers wednesday - in blog post life-impacting testimony

 

You can also read about how one of my friendships led me to become a writer. Yes, it is worth opening our hearts! If you haven’t seen it yet, Cindy’s Writer’s Desk post is not one to miss!

Most of all, I want to encourage you to share your truth. Feel free to reply to this email and write a note to me. I promise I’m the only one who reads it. Don’t let the enemy hold you in chains any longer.

Has this encouraged you in any way? I would love to hear your story.

~Tricia

 

These are some books I have written that might bless you as well:

My life Unscripted- life-impacting testimony

My Life Unscripted

Young people (and old) learn the importance of “scripting” their own responses BEFORE challenging life-situations arise so they are able to think about, pray about, and consider how to face these situations before the scene begins. By contrasting real-life with TV or movies, teens will understand they don’t have to get caught up in the drama.

 

 

 

 

 

Praying For Your Future Husband will be a part of your life-impacting testimony

Praying For Your Future Husband

From when we were small girls, most of us dream of “The One,” our future husband. We think about what it would be like to be a bride. We wonder who that special guy is and when we’ll find him. The great news is that what you do now can make a difference in your life and the life of your future husband! Praying For Your Future Husband

 

 

 

 

 

walking it out is part of your life-impacting testimony

 

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. Walk It Out

 

 

 

 

 

 

sewn with joy- suggestion for blog post about life-impacting testimony

Sewn With Joy

Can I work in a woman finding forgiveness into an Amish novel? Oh yes, I can. 😂Joy Miller wanted nothing more than to be a wife and mother—especially now that her relationship with Matthew Slagel, the bishop’s son, was deepening. But when a television crew rolls into Pinecraft, Florida, to film a new show about the Amish, tension threatens to rip apart their relationship…and the entire Amish community. Sewn With Joy

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Re-Awaken Your Dreams, Mom

Is it time to reawaken your dreams, Mom? You don’t have to sacrifice the dreams of your heart. You can pursue the things God placed in your heart while serving Him and your family. I know, because I’ve done it, and you can too!

Re-Awaken Your Dreams, Mom

What dreams did you have as a child? Did you want to be an astronaut? A doctor? A marine biologist? While some of those dreams may have been inspired by popular movies (hello Free Willy!), we can look back at our childhood to discover some of our hidden talents and design. Have you ever considered these questions: Who did God design you to be? How well are you living that design?

Is it time to reawaken God’s dreams for you?

Let’s start by considering what you enjoyed during your earliest years. Who were you like as a child? What did you like to do? I was a library nerd. In fact, I discovered going to the library could be dangerous. Once I had checked out so many books at the library that I crashed because the books on my handlebars were so heavy!

Think back to when you were between the ages of 10 and 12. What did you love doing? What brought you true joy?

Here are some things I loved:

• Drawing.

I loved drawing. specifically drawing and naming my future family. I wanted eight kids: two boys and six girls. (God gave me three boys and seven girls!)

• Watching other families.

I remember one moment when I saw a large family at the beach playing together. There were kids in their twenties down to toddlers. I was drawn to their joy and relationship.

• Reading.

I loved going to the library and reading piles of books. Especially drawn to Little House on the Prairie books and books on Helen Keller.

• Spending time at my grandparents’ house.

One of my favorite things was sitting next to my grandpa and watching Lawrence Welk. Seeing my grandma cooking delicious food. Enjoying meals around the dinner table with the television off. Enjoying their organized and peaceful house.

• Being at church and feeling part of the church body.

I love feeling like the older people at church were my extended family. I loved how my Sunday School teacher cared about me.

Re-Awaken Your Dreams, Mom

The funny thing is that when I took the time to think about what I loved, I realized the things I was drawn to then are things I love now. I write books. I have a large family. My grandma lives with me, and I love serving in church.

Also, 2020 re-awakened my love for art and cooking. Painting and drawing are relaxing and give me a chance to breathe. I also love keeping a comfortable home and trying new recipes. True joy is found when my family is sitting around the dinner table. I love family time, togetherness, and seeing all ages interact.

I’ve realized over time that focusing on the things that brought me joy from my earliest ages is what brings me joy now because that’s part of who God made me to be. What about you? Are you living who God designed us to be? If not, here are some ways to do that.

1. Delight in your design.

Too often we look at what we’re NOT, and we forget to focus on who we ARE. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago,” (NLT).

And Psalm 100:3 says, “Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture,” (NLT).

Look at this we see that God’s will for our lives is living out the person He designed you to be.

2. Nix the lies that hold us back.

Lies such as, “I’m not smart enough,” or “I don’t have enough time to focus on things I like.” We may have made mistakes and believe we aren’t allowed to try again. We may believe that God has dreams for everyone else, except us.

What lies have held you back from who God designed you to be? It’s time to reawaken your heart. Take time to write down lies, and then combat them with God’s truth. Don’t listen to the negative thoughts that hold you back.

3. Depend on God.

If God designed you for a purpose, then know He is there to help. Job 33:4 says, “For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Just as God gave you life, He will breathe His inspiration into you.

Today you can fulfill God’s will when you dare to become the person God made you to be. Turn your heart to God and place yourself in His hands. Ask Him to reawaken your heart to the things He put there. Place your design into His hands, and ask Him to guide His steps. He will be faithful to do it!

Re-Awaken Your Dreams, Mom

Are you struggling to balance your dreams and your life as a wife and mom? I understand! That’s exactly why I wrote

Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom

Are you a work-from-home mom that feels stressed, overwhelmed, and overextended? Working moms are simultaneously raising kids, juggling a career, and taking care of family responsibilities. Some days can feel like Groundhog Day or an endless list of to-dos. Believe it or not, it’s not supposed to be this way. It is possible to create an environment that includes priority, structure, and balance.

Bestselling author, homeschooling mom, and work-from-home expert Tricia Goyer isn’t perfect, but she’s developed a system that works, and she shares all of her knowledge in Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom. Inside you’ll find tips and strategies that actually work.

You’ll learn how to:

 

 

  1. Create focus themes for your family
  2. Prioritize your schedule
  3. Use your job, so it also benefits your kids
  4. Stop comparing yourself to other moms
  5. Organize your home to fit your needs
  6. Do the inner work, so you can truly understand what balance looks like

Balanced is perfect for Christian women of all ages. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new mom or a seasoned mom, women will discover a wealth of information in this resource.

If you’re looking for a simple how-to manual with outlines, or if you’re not willing to do the spiritual work to impact your life, then this book isn’t for you. But if you’re willing to learn from your mistakes, try a new balancing methodology, and trust in God, this self-help book will be a lifesaver for you!

This post originally appeared on The Better Mom.

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The Power of Stories-Honoring Memorial Day

There is power in stories, I know because there are stories that have changed my life–I turned them into novels. These stories of bravery came from men and women who faced the horrors of war. When you read my historical fiction novels, I hope they give you a new understanding of the men who fought in World War II and their courage, honor, and sacrifice.

If you know a veteran, you can help keep their memories alive this Memorial Day by listening to their stories. Maybe it will change your life as well.

 

A Time To Remember

In 2000, I got my idea for what came to be my first historical novel, From Dust and Ashes. Wanting to know more about the stories of 23 men who liberated Mauthausen concentration camp, I contacted the 11th Armored Division who put me in touch with six of the veterans. These men then invited me to attend the 59th reunion of their division. I wasn’t expecting that at all. Although, I thought they’d point me to a good research book or allow me to interview them over the phone. I felt SO unworthy to meet with these men. Unfortunately, I knew very little about WWII, and I didn’t want my inexperience to show. Not to mention the $1000+ for airfare, hotels, rental car for a book I didn’t have a contract to write.

I urged a friend to go with me, and I’ve been so thankful we went. The men were caring and opened their hearts to me. They shared stories with me that they hadn’t shared with anyone before. They laughed, cried, took my hands, and thanked me for caring about their story. As I left, they hugged me and kissed my cheeks. I had changed their lives as well.

When it came to writing my novel, I wasn’t writing about fictional characters. I was writing pieces of Charlie’s story, bits of Arthur’s experiences. The memories that made LeRoy cry made it into my book. The snapshots that Tarmo carried around in his mind for 60 years transformed into scenes in my novel (and the novels to follow!).

I get many letters from readers who say that my novels come to life on the pages–that’s because the men’s experiences came to life to me as I looked into their eyes and saw glimpses of young heroes. Also, the following year I went to Europe and walked the streets of the SS housing with a man who’d been nine-years-old when the camp opened near his home. Again, I “saw” the story in his eyes as he shared–this time from someone on the outside.

There was an added benefit to this diligent research that I didn’t expect. After my second novel Night Song came out I received a letter from a veteran. He made a list of twenty minor research points that I’d gotten right, and then he asked, “One thing I didn’t understand was the faith element of this story. Can you tell me more about your faith in God?”

YES!

Because I had done the research, I’d was able to share about my Jesus with a veteran who has since passed away.

Reach out to a veteran today and listen to his or her story! #memorialday @triciagoyer

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The Power of Stories

Although many of the heroes I met have since passed away, their stories live on. LeRoy, who I mentioned above, had told me about opening the gates to the concentration camp at Mauthausen and seeing the masses of thin, skeletal figures. He also told me about an orchestra of prisoners who were playing the Star Spangled Banner for their liberators. Those prisoners survived because they were musicians and the Germans loved music.

That story became the inspiration for my novel Night Song.

 

get my wwii liberators series

A Night Song of Hope

Night Song tells the little-known, but true story of the orchestra started by prisoners in Hitler’s Mauthausen death camp. This courageous orchestra played the American national anthem as Allied troops arrived to liberate the camps.

Around the orchestra story, the fictional stories of a beautiful member of the Austrian resistance, the American GI who loves her, and a young prisoner who fakes his way into the camp orchestra in a desperate attempt to stay alive, are woven together.

Unforgettable Stories

Although many have since passed, these stories–and the men who lived them–will forever hold a part of my heart.  Their responses to Night Song encouraged me that I had told a story that would help others to know the struggles and strengths of the brave men and women of The Greatest Generation.

“After nearly 60 years, I was transported back to Mauthausen, remembering the days when I delivered the daily ration of bread to the dying.  The author has the uncanny knack of recreation, and I found myself remembering everything, including the smell.”
-Charlie White, 11th Armored Division Veteran

“Night Song is filled with many details that are exactly how they were during my military career.  Though I am a compulsive reader of WWII, I learned things I did not know!”
-Wilfred “Mac” McCarty, 11th Armored Division Veteran

“Well researched and historically accurate!  As a member of D-Troop, 41st Calvary Squadron, 11th Armored Division, whose men liberated Mauthausen, Gusen I and Gusen II Concentration Camps on May 5, 1945, I highly recommend this book.”
-Charles Torluccio

If you have a veteran in your life … today is the perfect day to reach out–to listen to his or her story. Don’t let the stories die, when you have a chance to make a difference.

To read some of their stories, click here.

Right now you can buy Night Song –and all my other historical fiction-– for 50% off using code: 50-50 and get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50! Hurry–sale ends 5/31!

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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.

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Help and Healing From Porn

Many need healing From Porn in the Czech Republic and, if you know me, you know that half of my heart is in there. From my first visit in 2000, I felt connected to the country in a way that I cannot explain. I have prayed for the Czech people since that time, and God has answered these prayers in amazing and unexpected ways. In addition to now having Czech family members, God has birthed an amazing ministry there to help people who are addicted to porn find freedom. How amazing is God?!

Pete Lupton is a director of an NGO in the Czech Republic called NePornu (“no to porn”). This organization focuses not only on raising awareness of the dangers of pornography, but also helps people struggling with porn addiction, their partners, parents, or church leaders. Please read Pete’s story and consider donating to this amazing ministry. Pete is a family friend, and I’m honored to know him! Every small gift can make a HUGE difference to men and women coming to freedom!

Help and Healing From Porn in the Czech Republic

TG: Pete, what led you to start the NePornu project?

I myself used to be addicted to porn. I come from a broken family with lots of issues including domestic violence and alcohol addiction. So when I discovered porn around the age of 11, I got hooked up pretty quickly, since it was a form of escape from the reality that I experienced at home.

Then I became a Christian at the age of 15 and realized that I am actually addicted to porn, so I tried to quit. But I felt really alone within the church and I was afraid to talk about this issue, so I kept on struggling myself for about 10 years.

When I finally got free, I also got the opportunity to start this project. And from the start, I knew that our main slogan has to be “You are not alone in this!”

TG: Ok, and what did actually help you get free from your addiction?

Well, I tried everything and nothing worked. Looking back I can see that the main problem was that I was trying to keep it a secret from everyone. And this may surprise you, but the breaking point actually happened after one of your seminars that you taught with your husband and that I attended with my wife here in the Czech Republic. You talked a lot about honesty in marriage, and so on the way back home I confessed to my wife that I was addicted to porn. So thank you for that!

Later, I started an accountability group with some men in our church, and that helped as well. Suddenly, all the things that didn’t work before started working. I limited my access to porn, I worked on recognizing my triggers, I started working on creating healthy habits, and so on. But since anonymity is considered one of the main problems behind porn addiction, being open about it with my wife and friends was the most important step towards freedom.

TG: How do you specifically help people addicted to porn?

Raising awareness is a big part of the process because many people are still not aware that one can develop an addiction to porn. So, we write articles, publish life stories of people struggling with this issue, and make podcasts.

We’ve also created a number of online courses for people addicted to porn on how to overcome the addiction. We also have an online course for spouses on how they can deal with the information that their partner is addicted to porn, and how they can possibly help them. We have an online course for church leaders on how to open this topic within the church.

For your readers, it might be especially interesting that we have an online course for parents on how to open this issue with their kids.

As for the help itself, we offer main online coaching through emails, and we are working on local support groups called Pornoholics Anonymous. Our main goal is to help the addicts be set free, and we try to accompany them on their journey towards freedom. Not to mention, that everything we do is free for our clients.

TG: As a NGO, what are your current needs?

We are always looking for new e-coaches (volunteers) that would help our clients, but they would have to speak Czech 🙂

However, as a NGO, we raise funds to cover everything that we do. The budget for this year is 66,000 USD, and we still need to raise about 20,000 USD to cover the whole budget. This also includes the process of translating Good Pictures, Bad Pictures books into Czech, which will help the parents to open this topic with their children.

If someone would like to support us, here are ways to do it:

  • Donate through JARON Ministries International (especially for US citizens)
  • Donate through Darujme (especially for EU citizens)
  • Donate directly to our Czech Bank account:
    • IBAN: CZ27 2010 0000 0026 0174 5437
    • BIC/SWIFT: FIOBCZPPXXX

 

Help and Healing From Porn in the Czech Republic

Thank you for taking the time to learn about what NePornu is doing in the Czech Republic to aid those who need help and healing from porn. Together, we can make a difference and bring the light of Christ to those struggling with porn addiction.

 

Also, want a wonderful way to connect with your spouse and foster healing? Download and print this Couples Bible Reading Plan.

 

 

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5 Ways to Keep Your Sanity on the Sabbath

These 5 Ways to Keep Your Sanity on the Sabbath can help you refocus. The Sabbath is ordained by God as a gift and a blessing. So why don’t we receive it as such? If the Bible admonishes our rest, why aren’t we resting? Today, Marilyn Jansen shares how we can sit a spell with God and experience the Sabbath anew!

5 Ways to Keep Your Sanity on the Sabbath

The seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work.

EXODUS 20:10

My husband surprised me with a gas double oven a few years ago. The baker inside me danced a jig. I had visions of sheet pans full of cookies, roasting turkeys with all the fixins, and dozens of loaves of bread. It had five racks and two temperature zones and gleamed like a new penny.

Hot diggity dog!

Other women want shoes or spa treatments or new outfits. I want gadgets, appliances, and cookbooks. My kids complain that I have more gadgets than sense. The aebleskiver pan, pizzelle maker, and raclette would agree! A few of these gadgets take careful practice to use correctly. It is very important to read directions.

When the oven was installed, I immediately curled up with a cup of coffee and the manual. Amid the technical specs and directions for the steam self-cleaning option came information for using the Sabbath mode.

The oven has a Sabbath mode! During the Sabbath, or Shabbat, some Jewish people refrain from any kind of work. That means they cannot turn on the oven or the lights or touch any of the buttons. They take their day of rest seriously. To help the Jewish community stay true to their beliefs, many appliances offer this option.

The instructions for using the Sabbath mode require a whole page of explanation. It is very detailed. The instructions for the Sabbath in the Bible also take up a lot of space. The Old Testament repeats the requirement many times: The seventh day is holy (Genesis 2:3). Take a rest (Leviticus 16:31). Do no work (Exodus 20:10). And, “You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day” (Exodus 35:3, nkjv). That explains the Sabbath mode.

5 Ways to Keep Your Sanity on the Sabbath

If the Bible admonishes our rest, why aren’t we resting? The oven has a mode, a setting, a predetermined way of behaving. Once set into motion, the programming takes over. Maybe that is what we need: A setting for rest. A predetermined behavior that we can’t turn off. A mode for following the Word of God.

Surely, if an oven can do it, we can. But how? How do we keep our sanity and keep the Sabbath in the middle of this very real, very demanding life? Although there are no magic solutions that fit every life, here are five ideas that might help.

1. If you have younger children, set aside a selection of toys that only come out on your Sabbath day.

Make sure these include toys that keep their attention longer than thirty seconds. When my kids were young this gave me time to enjoy a scone (try the James Earl Scone recipe in my book) and a cup of tea.

2. Pre-make or preorder food for the Sabbath.

You can do that a week or more ahead of time. During the week, when I am making a dinner our family, I often double it. I put one meal in the freezer. Then Saturday, I put that meal in the fridge to thaw. I throw it in the crockpot before church so I can nap Sunday afternoon. Napping is good for my soul—and everyone else’s.

3. Set your electronic devices to turn off at a certain time on the Sabbath and stay off for at least an hour or two.

Some routers can be set to shut down for certain hours. Or set a weekly alarm to remember to turn the internet off. I set alarms on my phone, tablet, and computer to turn things off because I’m the one who needs the extra push. Wordle is a temptress.

4. Start a Monday cleaning routine so you can let things slide a little on Sunday.

Or if you are like me, you might let them slide into Tuesday or Wednesday. Don’t obsess over picking up or doing dishes or whatever it is you feel pulled to do. It may take a little time to relax and let that go. Keep at it. Through prayer, meditation, or simply taking a bubble bath, you can retrain your brain to put rest first.

5. Get everyone in your household to participate in stress-reducing activities.

Maybe a journal or coloring book—a journal with wide lines or a coloring book and crayons for small kids, a diary with a lock or an adult coloring book for teens, a very masculine leather journal for men. Then set a timer and let everyone write, draw, color, paste, copy, or drool on their own book. It may only last five or ten minutes at first. But with practice and persistence, this time can become something the whole family will love.

And if you need something baked on the Sabbath, come on over, my oven has you covered.

Right now you can enter to win a copy of Come Sit a Spell!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

5 Ways to Keep Your Sanity on the Sabbath

Marilyn Jansen has been writing and creating since she glued dandelions into her first book at age four. She is a budding photographer who takes way too many photos of seen but under-appreciated things. Because she has been an editor in Christian publishing since 1998, her haphazardly stacked collections of books threaten to take over her home. As co-owner of Nashville Cooks, Marilyn writes about Music City’s diverse food scene and contributes recipes inspired by those menus. She has three adult children and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Her book Come Sit a Spell takes you back to a time when people’s lives were real and raw, where folks lived lives full of love hard-worn. It gives readers that feeling of home that they often don’t realize they are looking for. Through her personal reflections on growing up in the Missouri Ozarks, she reminds us that God’s love comforts and guides us even when the pantry is empty. These stories, based on memories from three generations of kitchens, come fully baked with recipes that just about anyone can master, and ingredients that are staples in almost every cupboard. Come Sit a Spell is about people and food—not the glamorous kind, but the everyday, love-’em-with-all-you-got kind that is the foundation of country homes across America.

You can reach her at her website at www.marilynjansen.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dotcommom/, or at Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dotcommom61/.

Soon to be at tiktok @marilynsjansen

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Your Guide to Finding True Happiness

Today I’m sharing your guide to finding true happiness. If you’re anything like me, you’ve struggled with this. What is true happiness? Where does it come from? Let’s look at what God says about finding true happiness, friend.

Your guide to finding true happiness

What True Happiness Is and Is Not

Looking back at my childhood, I can’t say we were a happy family. My mom, stepdad, brother, and I co-existed. We rarely had family dinners around a table. Instead, dinner was served on the kitchen counter, and we sat in front of the television. Most of my family didn’t bother attending my science fair or seeing me cheer. It just wasn’t important. But, of course, that meant that I wasn’t important.

At the time, I believed that to be “happy,” I needed the attention and approval of others.

finding true happiness

Finding True Happiness

I do remember a few fun family vacations. Once, my grandparents joined us. We went to the Ice Follies and the zoo, but those moments were like sparkling moments set among the mundane. It wasn’t until I was an adult with my children that I realized how different things could be. We enjoy family meals almost every night and spend time at the lake or going on evening walks. We serve in church together, which is a lot of fun.

Yet no family can be happy all of the time.

Our family has faced the deaths of loved ones, and we’ve had times of hardship and struggle. Yet, even then, we still have each other. My husband, kids, and I have an underlying contentment and connection—happiness even—during hard times. Realizing this, I began to understand that true happiness isn’t about what we have or do. True happiness is about where we are walking. Who we are walking with.

finding true happiness

Do you want to know this type of happiness—a deeply settled feeling that tells you all is well, even during the chaos or pain of life?

Finding True Happiness

It wasn’t until I understood the truth about “happy” that I saw why things were different in my home than in the one I grew up with. True happiness stems from the internal, not the external, and it’s found throughout the Bible. Happy is translated as blessed, and the root is “to be straight.”

So to be truly happy is to get our hearts “straight” or “right” in the Lord.

 

finding true happiness

“Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments,” we read in Psalm 112:1 (NRSV). The whole chapter is so beautiful I’m going to share it here:

Happy are those who fear the Lord,

who greatly delight in his commandments.

Their descendants will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches are in their houses,

and their righteousness endures forever.

They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;

they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.

It is well with those who deal generously and lend,

who conduct their affairs with justice.

For the righteous will never be moved;

they will be remembered forever.

They are not afraid of evil tidings;

their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.

Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;

in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;

their righteousness endures forever;

their horn is exalted in honor.

The wicked see it and are angry;

they gnash their teeth and melt away;

the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.

finding true happiness

Finding True Happiness

What is true happiness? To be truly happy is to get our hearts “straight” or “right” in the Lord, and then all good things stem from that.

If your heart longs to be happy, it’s time to turn to Jesus. With Him is true happiness is found.

Heart Happy shares how I went from hurting and struggling through chaos and disappointment to living in the abundance of joy Christ died to give me. I want the same for you, friend. That’s why I share from my heart about how He walked alongside me through my pain and helped me see that He was ready and willing and ABLE to handle all my fears and doubts. He could take all the crazy and heal my heart from the inside out, so I could smile again. And He wants to do the same for you.

Join me in finding your Heart Happy life today!

Looking for more on how to find true happiness?

In this talk with my friend Rebekah Hargraves we chat about her book Lies Moms Believe … and wow, there are a lot of them! And you know what? Those lies can keep us from finding true happiness in Christ! I know you’re going to love my conversation with Rebekah. We share the lies that we often have to dig out of our hearts.

Listen here https://triciagoyer.com/lies-moms-believe-and-how-to-refute-them/

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