The Living by Design Blog
The Bible is packed with the spiritual nourishment your soul craves. Our aim is to provide resources to help you break it down into bite-sized pieces that are easy to digest. Articles on the Living by Design Blog are packed with heart-focused content, practical solutions for real life, and Bible-based training. Since launching this blog in 2014, we’ve featured more than 100 guest contributors. If you’d like to submit an article for consideration, please review our submission guidelines.
By Leslie Jones As a light breeze stirred the trees above, a verdant leaf landed on my Bible. Settled on a quilt deep in the woods, my eyes swollen from crying, I reflected on the past few weeks. My husband’s work travels had left the burden of caring for our
By Nichole J Suvar It’s a typical Thursday. I have errands to run, kids to pick up from practice, work to do for my 9-5 job, and dinner to get on the table. My face appears calm as I move from one task to another. It looks like I have
By Annie Yorty “Please reconsider!” I implored my friend. Bent on divorce, she paced and shook her head. I persisted until she settled down and talked through her reasons. I knew firsthand the devastation her children would experience if she followed through with her plan. I grew up in a
By Katherine Pasour With trembling hands, my mother pinned sheets and towels to the clothesline. The linens swayed in the summer breeze. Tears streamed down her face. Even though my age was in the single digits at the time, this memory remains vivid over fifty years later. My sweet, tender-hearted
By Nikki Evanson If it wasn’t for a co-worker living out his faith at my job, I probably wouldn’t know Jesus today. In college, I worked at a local grocery store to earn some extra cash. I often stocked shelves at work. My co-workers and I talked with each other
I am writing this article from my cozy home office in South Dakota. A steady spring rain is pattering on my roof, and my teenage daughter is typing her final history paper of the semester. My thumb is sore from working in the garden this weekend, and I just got
By Nicole Kauffman I had just drifted to sleep when my mind was bombarded. My eyes shot open with thoughts, memories, and fears. They threatened to swallow me into the darkness. I wasn’t prepared. I hadn’t known it would get this bad. These anxiety attacks have followed me for months,
A recurring gift is an ongoing, specific donation amount that is charged monthly to a donor’s credit card. Recurring gifts are easy to set up and provide a manageable way to give a dependable source of income to Living by Design Ministries. Setting up a recurring donation to support Living
By Jill Miller A good friend of mine is a chef. She just finished a kitchen makeover of epic proportions. Her new kitchen could easily be featured on the cover of any number of magazines. While she has a myriad of amazing pots, pans, appliances, and gadgets, what really stands
By Laura Sumpter The freshness of the sea air and the whisper of the wind brushed my face as I pushed open the creaky wooden gate. Our excursion had taken us to the home of an elderly lady who sat near us every Sunday at church. “Come around to
2022 Annual Impact Report Download the Printable Report By Ryan & Sarah Koontz Since we launched this non-profit ministry in 2017, we’ve received financial contributions from more than 650 people. Most people who choose to invest in Living by Design are unfamiliar to us. We may have exchanged an e-mail or
By Hadassah Treu Our days are filled with stressful situations that send us reeling in fear and anxiety. We often feel paralyzed by our fears and doubts, and we are tempted to retreat. During these pivotal times moments, we must remember that we can choose faith over fear. Sometimes, all
By Michele Morin I was thrilled to find a new book leaning against my door where the mail carrier had left it. It contained a trusted Bible teacher’s thoughts on the book of Exodus–just in time to begin preparing for a class I would be teaching soon. Tearing open the
Raise your hand if you love to study the Word of God with other believers. What a joy it is to learn and grow alongside one another as we dip our toes into the springs of living water together (Jer 17:13). I’d like you to take a moment to think of
By Anne Hope Hell is a difficult subject to discuss. It amazes me how many people I meet who don’t believe hell or Satan exists. Perhaps it is their way of justifying their lifestyle. Perhaps it is just total ignorance and believe both to be merely part of a fairy
Recently, I took a course entitled Effective Ministry to Women at Dallas Seminary. It was one of the most engaging classes I’ve ever participated in. As a woman raising two teenage daughters and writing Bible studies for women—the content was relevant and revelatory. In this article, I will share some
By Maureen Miller “The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself.” John 20:7 HCSB I stared at the words on the page. How many times had I read them, and yet I’d never
By Celia A.Miller I remember the look on my dad’s face as the doctor came through those swinging doors. We had been waiting for hours in agony and anticipation for some sort of news to put our deepest fears to rest. But when the conversation with the doctor ended with
I’ll never forget the first time I read CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. I could not have been more than fourteen or fifteen years old. I was astounded by the creativity and artistic talent of the author, yet disgusted and unimpressed by the demons’ strategies illuminated in the letters. Although Lewis
By Michelle Flaningan Most of us have heard of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is cited in Matthew 7 when Jesus warns about false teachers. Right after He tells his disciples to enter through the narrow gate, He says to them, “Beware of false prophets who come to you
By Susan Cort Johnson Although my siblings and I were raised in the same home, we have different ways of approaching life. Despite our differences, there wouldn’t be much strife if interactions were limited to an occasional family gathering or Facetime connections for quick chats. But in this season of
The book of Hebrews establishes the superior person, priesthood, and power of Jesus Christ while encouraging believers to persevere in faith as they endure persecution. The author also repeatedly warns his listeners of the spiritual consequences of neglecting God’s Word. Although the author is unknown, the inspiration and canonicity of
By Margaret Kemp Time is running out. That thought smacked me in the head like a wet snowball. I’d barely finished singing the last chorus of Auld Lang Syne when I sat down to make my New Year’s Resolutions (the ones I’d surely break in a few days). But, like
Women around the world are craving God’s Word and we are intent on creating free resources and tools to satisfy your spiritual appetite. Most of our readers would agree that we could all benefit from carving out a bit more time and space for Jesus Christ in our hearts and
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At Living by Design Ministries, we believe God’s Word is the only source of absolute truth in a world that praises tolerance and ambiguity. That is why we strive to deliver biblically accurate, relatable, story-driven content to our readers each week.
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