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 Kristen West If churches awarded frequent flyer miles for every time folks attended, I’d have unlimited free air travel for the rest of my natural days! I have spent my life in church and experienced a variety of roles—attendee, member, volunteer, and staff member. As a result, I’ve learned
By Sarah Frazer The food was set out, the house was cleaned, and the kids were in the basement with my husband. No one is going to show up, I said to myself. Those thoughts kept coming as I prepared to host my very first Bible study. I had invited
by Maureen Miller “How did you maintain joy during your season of waiting, you know, for children?” My hurting, unsaved friend’s question hung in the air. Had I walked in joy? Many times I fled from God, trying to hide instead. Finding joy, especially during dark days, took time. And
Are you familiar with the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive?” If you know, off the top of your head, where that quote originated from, you are doing better than me! I was surprised to discover that this familiar saying is quoted by the Apostle Paul
By Jill Miller Near my kitchen’s glass doors, I placed a few feeders in a tree for birds that like to eat while perched. Since some birds prefer feeding off the ground, I always make sure to spread some feed on the patio. On this patio, I’ve observed two very
By Donna Bucher For several years now, my fear surrounding my prodigal son and daughter remains unhindered. Part of a yet unanswered prayer, admitting my apprehension for their welfare feels like a lack of faith. With each passing year, fear regarding their whereabouts or well-being etches deeper in my heart.
By Leigh DeLozier We all have days when we feel overlooked or unseen. The world rushes by, and we can’t help but wonder if people really hear us or understand our perspectives. Those are the days when I remind myself of Hagar. Because no matter how unnoticed and unheard Hagar
By Rosann Coulon It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done––but I did it. I completed a 21-day Daniel Fast for the first time. Choosing to abstain from meat, dairy, and sugar was difficult, but it increased my faith in ways I never expected. After a season of
By Nancy Manassero I trudged into the kitchen, bleary-eyed, whining to my husband. “I don’t wanna go to work! I’m so tired, and I just want a day off!” He held me and whispered sweet words of encouragement. He knew my work as a nurse demanded all my concentration and
By Joanna Eccles I used to date Jesus every Wednesday. I’d get dressed up and take my Bible to a coffee house to spend time with the Lord. My journey to know Jesus brought me to the book of John. If you want to know Jesus, you’ll find His heart by searching
By Kelly Basham While browsing an outdoor clearance event at a local antique store, a set of metal serving trays caught my attention. The trays had pictures of elegantly dressed ladies sitting down for tea. The price tag read, “$2.00 for the pair.” I was surprised by the price and
By Erinn Karpovck A book with blank pages. I sometimes wonder if that’s my story. But if God is the perfect Author of life, this simply can’t be true. When I was 29, my husband left. He filed for divorce, and I was thrust into the starting line of singleness
By Sarah Koontz When I was fourteen, the enemy planted a lie in my heart that grew undetected for nearly two decades. One day after school, I sat in the wing-backed chair in the corner of my mother’s home office. I remember it like it was yesterday. My mom was
By Margaret Kemp Acceptance by the world isn’t automatic. You have to earn it, and—spoiler alert—the world grades on a curve. I was five years old when I came face-to-face with this unpleasant reality. I’d just started school, and a classmate invited me to her birthday party. I stared wide-eyed
By Amanda Bridle I recently confessed to a friend that I was in a dark place. Something I felt God called me to wasn’t going as I expected. In fact, if you looked at the results of my efforts from a worldly perspective, you might even categorize it as a
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,
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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
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