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.
My heart beats a bit faster. Just breathe, Sarah. Doubts clutter my thoughts. Have faith, Sarah. I feel tension in my shoulders. Relax, Sarah. My head begins to ache. Take a moment to pray, Sarah. I feel unprepared, under-equipped and unworthy of the task that lies before me. But I
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I’m not quite sure when I fell in love with my husband. I can assure you that it wasn’t love at first sight. We had been good friends for about a year before I allowed myself to even consider the
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries This week’s #livefreeThursday prompt from Suzie Eller is “breaking out of my bubble.” I recently broke out of my own bubble by agreeing to do my very first podcast interview with the beautiful Lauren Gaskill from Making Life Sweet. It’s
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries When my husband and I got engaged in 2004, we immediately started looking for a house to purchase. It didn’t take us long to decide on this little gem located on the south side of my hometown. It had a
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I see you. Across the room, sitting quietly in your chair fidgeting with your pen. I see you. Off in the corner, flipping through the pages of your Bible. I see you. Sitting beside me, quietly observing the conversation but
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Chocolate. Coffee. Spaghetti. French Fries. Pizza. Asking me to define my signature sin is like asking me to pick a favorite food. Impossible. I adore the many tantalizing flavors this life has to offer as deeply as I detest the sinfulness
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries “I want to be in relationship with people who love me unconditionally,” my mom quietly admitted, tears streaming down her face. Like a dagger to my heart, the truth seeped into my soul and revealed something ugly I had never
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I don’t know about you, but all of these holidays tend to run together in my mind….Columbus Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I find that I enjoy the idea of a break from the hustle and bustle
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries A new year is upon us, and it is time to re-focus our energy on the things that truly matter! I have been looking around and I believe I have finally discovered the key habits of amazing moms. Although I am
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I will never forget the hopefulness I felt when I cradled my first child in my arms, I couldn’t help but think that this tiny babe might nurse all that selfishness right out of my body. I have always been
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Are you weary and worn? Tired of rushing through life and desperately in need of rest? There is a secret art of restful living hidden in the midst of the hustle and bustle of this life, but it comes at
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries When I was seventeen, I went from straight-a student to dropout all for the sake of a dream; and it was the best decision I ever made! I attended a small high school and had the opportunity to compete in
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I felt like a fool! I knew I had walked across the house to get something from this room, but I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember what it was! How could I have forgotten so quickly what I
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries If you were to visit my house on a Wednesday morning for a coffee date, you might find yourself thinking, “Gosh, this girl has got it together! The house is spotless, the floors are clean, the coffee is hot, and…seriously…she’s
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I am so glad I decided to take the #write31days challenge! I remember when I first read about it back at the beginning of September…. A whole month of blogging on the same subject, how could I possibly? If you
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Welcome to week 4 of the #Write31Days Challenge! I have titled my series “31 Uplifting Quote Graphics” and plan to release a beautiful image & inspirational quote every day throughout the month of October. So far this month, we have
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Welcome to week 3 of the #Write31Days Challenge! I have titled my series “31 Uplifting Quote Graphics” and plan to release a beautiful image & inspirational quote every day throughout the month of October. So far this month, we have
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries How did I get here? What is happening to me? I was flat on my back on the floor of the waiting room, worried faces staring down at me. Had I collapsed? Why couldn’t I catch my breath? Why did
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Welcome to week 2 of the #Write31Days Challenge! I have titled my series “31 Uplifting Quote Graphics” and plan to release a beautiful image & inspirational quote every day throughout the month of October. If you missed last week’s “Martin
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I have no desire to put any of my dear friends on the spot, but the women in my life apologize for the silliest stuff! I’m sorry my house is a mess… I’m sorry for talking so much… I’m sorry
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Welcome to week 1 of the #Write31Days Challenge! I am titling this series “31 Uplifting Quote Graphics” and I plan to release a beautiful image & inspirational quote every day throughout the month of October. My friend Tod White has
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Whether we are ready for it or not, October has arrived! That means it is time for the #Write31Days challenge. 31 Days is an online writing challenge where bloggers pick one topic and write a post on that topic every
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Have you ever been alone? Surrounded by people but somehow completely isolated? Friendship has never come easily to me. I am outgoing (probably too outgoing), I like to talk (probably a little too much), and I am opinionated (to a
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Stop. Take a breath. Look around. What is happening in your life right now? Is your corner of the universe organized and put together, or is it messy, complicated, and exceptionally unpredictable? I don’t know about you, but the concept
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