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.
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Photography by Kristi Foreman My husband and I are opposites. I am outspoken, he is reserved. I am a dreamer, he is realistic. I am driven, he is laid-back. I’ll never forget the friction these differences triggered early in our
Article by: Sarah Koontz,Founder of Living by Design Ministries I love it when my “everyday romantic” surprises me with flowers. This time the blooms are a refreshing mixture of vibrant tulips. I create a hodgepodge of floral arrangements – mason jars overflowing with inspiration – to set around my house
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I ask you to think of today’s post as a duet—two distinct voices harmonizing within a melodious freedom message. I compiled a selection of my favorite quotes from Rebekah Lyons’ new book, You Are Free, and wove them into my own
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries The book of Psalms is my favorite place to go when I need a quick pick-me-up, but I rarely spend much time digging beneath the surface, searching for the treasure within. The sheer length of Psalm 119 has always deterred
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.Leave to thy God to order and provide;In every change, He faithful will remain. My weary soul longs for this elusive stillness, nourishment, provision.
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries A few months ago I discovered my youngest daughter’s love language {insert enthusiastic and unapologetic momstyle dance moves here}. This, my friends, is a huge victory in my little corner of the universe. My little 8-year-old miss is strong-willed, sassy,
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries For the rest of your life, people will be trying to find words to describe you, to sum you up, and to categorize you. Humans label things, it’s what they do. And if you are not careful, you will start
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries After a devastating miscarriage and a season of unexpected infertility, I was finally a mother. In spite of the joy I felt, I could not shake the feeling that something was missing in my life. The beautiful burden of motherhood
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Until recently, I would have never referred to myself as a “creative” or an “artist.” Why not, you ask? It’s simple really. My hands cannot create the beauty my eye longs for. My children’s stick figure drawings tower over my
An Interview with Cru’s Kate Maxey | Written by Sarah Koontz For the last few years, my husband and I have been supporting a ministry called Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ). Cru was established in 1951 by Bill and Vonette Bright and is actively ministering in more than 191
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Clutter is both my constant companion (I have 2 grade school kids!) and a threat to my peace of mind. I am always looking for new ways to control the clutter in my home, and this Pre-Christmas Purge has been
Early this year, I stumbled upon a woman’s prayer group at my church. My motives for joining them were not rooted in a desire to pray, but rather a desire to spend time with a friend who was temporarily leading the group. But one prayer session with those ladies, and
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I moved away from home when I was 17, searching for something more than my small town could provide. I traveled the globe for three years, from the outback of Australia to the mountains of British Columbia, in pursuit of
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I can’t imagine military living; surrendering your own will for the greater good and putting yourself in harms way for the sake of your country. There are a few good men in my own life who are veterans, and I
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I’m obsessed with all the amazing boutique clothing stores that are creating faith based jewelry and clothing. There’s nothing like waking up and choosing your outfit based on what message you feel like wearing that day. A few of my favorite
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries The perfect mom is far from perfect. She has not got it all figured out, nor does she expect to. She is constantly falling short of her own expectations and well-versed in the art of seeking forgiveness from her children.
I was tickled pink when my blogging friend, Mary Hill, invited me to participate in her series “31 Christian Bloggers who Inspire Me to Walk Closer with Christ.” It was fun to share a few pieces of my personal story that I haven’t yet had the opportunity to blog about,
This is a guest post written by my friend, Mary Kron. When she told me about her beautiful ministry of writing journals for her children and grandchildren, I just knew I had to share her story with you. -Sarah Koontz I wanted this little treasure, whom I already cherished with
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries My oldest daughter’s love tank requires constant refueling; I’m convinced it has sprung a leak. I could tell my tender child that I love her 100 times a day, but the words would ring hollow in her ears if I didn’t
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Do you remember the saying, “I’m rubber, you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you?” It was one of my favorite playground insults to toss around as a child, whenever kids said something I didn’t like,
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I have a beautiful Bible Study secret to share with you today. It’s almost too simple to be considered a secret, but don’t let the simplicity detract from the transformative power of this truth. You don’t have to be very good
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I like to think of my walk with God as a beautiful hike. God has provided everything I need for the journey, including a detailed map (the Bible) and a patient Guide (the Holy Spirit). There are peaks and valleys,
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, “You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” I’ve recently committed to searching
A Guest Post by Shannon Geurin We live in a world in which we want everything to be easy and convenient, don’t we? We want faster, easier, and simpler. We want crockpot meals that take 30 minutes to prepare, can simmer all day and be ready to eat when we
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