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 Karen Carlton “Shhhhh!” I whispered for the hundredth time. I glanced at my watch as my two little girls squirmed and wiggled during church. I tried to keep a pleasant look on my face, but I was running out of patience on our first visit to our new church.
By Barbara Latta Doubt about our abilities and fear of the future can seep into our souls bit by bit like air seeps through cracks under doors and windows. Doubt and fear here and there sneak in until those cold waves of discouragement overwhelm us. We may set goals, but
by Ellen Hopkins There once was a woman named Martha. She was hard-working. She was the kind of woman who’d be in charge of a team and work right alongside everyone. She knew what needed to get done, and she went after it. If she had lived in our time,
by Annie Yorty I huddled in my seat on the frigid bus, face turned toward the window, sobbing quietly. My team and I had just left a Siberian rehab center. To call it a center, though, gave it far too much credit. Rustic better describes the patchwork structure, wood stove
by Michele Morin We sat in silent disbelief, neither of us knowing what to say. When my husband’s job was eliminated without warning, the news landed like a tidal wave: completely unexpected and comprehensively devastating. Then, as the wave receded, applications, interviews, and the thin hope that accompanies waiting seemed
At our annual meeting with the Living by Design Board of Directors, I was asked the following question: “Sarah, it’s been five years since we launched this ministry. Are you still as passionate about it as you were in the beginning? If there was no money in the budget to
by Briane Pittman Kearns “She began so well,” said my friend when I told her I was studying Rebekah, wife of Isaac, mother of Esau and Jacob. We may begin well, but to maintain a life of faith that ends well, we must guide our hearts to know God, love
By Joanna Eccles How do you reconcile love with the need for justice? Darrow, the main character in “Red Rising” by Pierce Brown, once executed justice in an unconventional manner. He ruled a set of students, and his friend Tactus defied Darrow’s clear instructions. The punishment was 20 lashes. Darrow
by Carolyn Sinclair McCalla When did you last enjoy a feast? Maybe it was at Thanksgiving or Christmas, or on a special cruise. Perhaps it was at a wedding. But do you know that you can feast daily on God’s Word? This feast will fill you with peace, joy, and
2021 Annual Impact Report Download the Printable Report By Ryan & Sarah Koontz We can hardly believe that we are entering our fifth year as a nonprofit ministry. According to Forbes, more than 50% of all nonprofits fail or stall within a few years due to leadership issues and/or lack of
by Barb Fox I sat at a table with five strangers. The workshop leader provided instructions: “Tell us about yourself, including your current job responsibilities.” My heart pounded as I searched for an answer. A combination of changes in personnel and priorities had decommissioned my prior work responsibilities. Each phrase
By Leslie Jones Shuffling through my “people to pray for” notecards one morning, I sensed God’s holy invitation to add the name of a woman who’d deeply wounded me. “How can I pray for her,” I questioned, “when it’s impossible to forgive what she did to my family?” Offering forgiveness
By Dana Kinion “I keep six honest serving men,They taught me all I knew.Their names were What and Why and WhenAnd How and Where and Who.” – I Keep Six Honest Serving Men, Rudyard Kipling This is the first part of a poem by Rudyard Kipling. I learned it from
By Denise Prosser My heart raced, and my breathing was shallow. “What-ifs” and “should-haves” fought to control my mind. Like a whirlpool, my thoughts threatened to suck me into a spiral of pointless ponderings. What if more of my family becomes ill? What if we are hospitalized? What if we
By Angela Meer Like most women, I could barely squeak in the time for a shower, let alone a consistent self-care routine. Rushing through the daily grind, I was far from creating sustaining habits that would infuse my body and mind with health and hope. In the madness of my
One of the main reasons we decided to make the big transition to a non-profit ministry was so I could have time to produce more free online Bible studies. Instead of being alone in ministry and wearing all the hats, I’m sharing my hat collection with others so I can spend
By Terri Prahl A few years ago, we welcomed two girls into our home who had entered the foster care system due to parental addictions. Over time, these girls felt at ease in our home that looked starkly different than their own, but they still longed for their family of
By Annie Yorty “Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes.”
By Sacha C. Have you ever been in a situation that left you feeling hopeless and stressed out—wondering if things will ever change? Has there ever been a time when you felt so stuck that you couldn’t find a way to pull yourself out? That no matter what you tried,
Last fall, I was able to attend a Biblical Justice conference at my local church. The speaker at this conference was Scott David Allen, the president of the Disciple Nations Alliance. Scott has written and co-written a number of books, including the Kingdom Lifestyle Bible Study Series and As the
By Nichole Suvar I was bullied in elementary school. One day a group of girls were my friends, and the next day it was as if some unspoken pact had been signed, and I wasn’t around for it. I suddenly became the punchline for every joke. Anything I did was
By Donna Bucher When people think of unforgiveness, visions of prison rarely come to mind. Sadly, refusing to offer forgiveness holds us in a prison of bitterness, resentment, and pain, causing us to relive the offense repeatedly. The prison of unforgiveness held me captive for many years. Pain inflicted more
This year, we invite you to join us as we set aside five minutes each day to DWELL on God’s Word! Our free DWELL360 study takes readers on a guided journey through the foundational truths of Scripture. Together, we will establish a vibrant, life-giving 360-degree view of what God has
By Annie Yorty The special ed teacher looks around the conference table, pen poised to write. “What do we see as Aly’s strengths?” Among the professionals, I, the lone parent, stand out like a prickly cactus among a sea of swaying grasses. A million strengths jump to mind. After a
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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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