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.

Your Ultimate Purpose is Already Inscribed on Your Heart

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

Read More »

A 10-Minute Prayer for our Military

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

Read More »

How Do You Wear Your Faith?

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

Read More »

Fixing our Perception of the Perfect Mom

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.

Read More »

Who’s Fueling Your Leaky Love Tank?

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

Read More »

How Many Unkind Words are Stuck on Your Soul?

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,

Read More »

One Secret that will Transform Your Bible Study Routine

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

Read More »

How to Search for God in the Everyday

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

Read More »

Better than Restored: Hope for Hurting Marriages

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

Read More »

Are You Sick and Tired of Running on Empty?

Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries As I reached the crest of the hill, my car engine jumped and sputtered. Uh-oh! I shifted my Honda Accord into neutral and prayed that the downslope would propel my car into the gas station at the bottom. Fortunately, the

Read More »

Discovering Your “Ministry of the Moment”

A Guest Post by Alison Tiemeyer When I let the thoughts of what I am not consume my mind, I am overcome with feelings of inadequacy. In that moment, I choose defeat and declare that others are more equipped, more experienced, more valuable. In that moment, I feel like my

Read More »

A Beautiful Escape from the Ordinary

Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Recently my young family enjoyed 300 glorious hours of togetherness on a cross-country road trip “experience.” As we neared the end of the trip, my oldest daughter started rolling her eyes and sighing every time she heard the word “experience”

Read More »

6 Biblical Reasons to Embrace the Unexpected

Article by: Sarah Koontz,Founder of Living by Design Ministries I just love family game night. The laughter, conversation  and distraction-free time spent together leave me feeling full and satisfied. Our favorite game right now is Clue. We picked up the game at a garage sale last month and my girls can’t

Read More »

Being Faithful in the “Small Things”

Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries When I was 14 years old, I decided I wanted to become a professional golfer. I dedicated the next 7 years of my life to accomplishing that goal. I was focused, hard-working and diligent. I have always believed God created

Read More »

Careless Words and Broken Eggshells

Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries As a writer, I diligently search for just the right words to encourage and uplift my readers. I can work and re-work my writing to make certain it communicates a positive message and edit out any parts that don’t fit

Read More »

The Most Powerful Gift We Can Give

Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Words are one of the most powerful gifts we can give to someone we love. Words fill in the space that exists between two souls, like a magnet pulling two separate beings into one shared space. Words reveal what is

Read More »

True Confessions of a Distracted Worshiper

Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Have you ever found yourself in a place where you struggle to enter into authentic worship? I know that I have. Over the past few years, I’ve been wondering what is missing from my worship experience. I still love the

Read More »

Stay Nourished

with our Weekly Blog Posts & SOULfood Saturday E-mails​

By entering your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Scroll to Top