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 Becky Meyerson Remember me for this, my God, and don’t erase the deeds of faithful love I have done for the house of my God and for its services. Nehemiah 13:14 HCSB Nehemiah is the hallmark book in the Bible on being an intentional leader. It is the story
By Sarah K. Butterfield When I was growing up in France as a missionary kid, we would sometimes host family or friends visiting from the states. Usually, they would ask if they could bring something for us and without fail, my dad would say, “Oreos!” We savored each bite of
We love creating free Bible studies. It is a joy, an honor, and a privilege to serve God and our community in this manner. As we embark on our fourth year as a non-profit ministry, we are grateful for yet another opportunity to invite you to partner with us in
By Joanna Eccles I was near the edge of my sanity. The day before, my boss had provided harsh feedback that crushed my spirit. Nothing I did pleased her. I felt like I was drowning, pulled apart in a spiritual battle. The Holy Spirit kept reminding me to write Scripture
By Mindy Jones The two most potent weapons Christian women have are the Living Word of God and their tongues. Hold on a minute. You read that right—our tongues are powerful weapons! Our tongues have the power to speak LIFE or DEATH. They can bless, and they can curse. They
By Rachael Adams When I received an early morning call that my father had just had a heart attack, my own heart was filled with fear. Hurriedly dressing and grabbing my car keys, I rushed to see him, my thoughts swirling frantically. Will he live long enough for me to
By Kelly R. Baum Have you ever had the thought, “Maybe I’m doing Bible study all wrong?!?” I feel you, friend! I have been there and can confirm that the struggle is real. It’s far too easy to feel discouraged, overwhelmed, intimidated by, or just plain confused when we open
Annual Impact Report 2020-2021 Download the Printable Report By Sarah Koontz Today, I invite you to stop and enjoy the beauty of God’s design with me. The more time I spend studying my Bible, the more convinced I am that God strategically, specifically, and supernaturally designed us for His glory
By Michele Morin In the dark, in the car, hands on the steering wheel, I sighed in frustration. “I can’t do this anymore,” I said out loud, startling myself with the fierceness of my tone over the sound of the car’s heater. On that frigid January night, I was brittle
Important Announcement: We recently updated and re-released our Worthy of the Calling Study. Not only did we go back through and update the study material, but we also created a printable version, a going-deeper guide, and an audio version. We hope that these additional resources will help even more people
By Sarah Koontz I know that everyone doesn’t like the Apostle Paul. You don’t have to look very far to find someone complaining about his teachings regarding submission, male and female roles in the church, and a whole host of other things. But the more I’ve studied Paul’s story, the
By Lisa Kimrey I love change—especially a carefully planned change! You know, the ‘I’m looking forward to the day I can wake-up just to sit on the beach, hear the calming waves, and watch my family play in the sand’ kind of change. But unfortunately, that’s not the type of
By Mariel Davenport In 2019, our family of four moved two hours away from our hometown—leaving friends, family, and familiarity behind. During this transition, we also celebrated the graduation of our firstborn from high school. Later in the year, my daddy was diagnosed with terminal cancer and went to be
Article by Sarah & Anya Koontz Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” God has woven each of us together
By Terri Prahl As I walked the halls of the local home for at-risk children during a holiday open house, one of the young girls grabbed my arm in excitement to tour her room. She led me through a steel door into a cinderblock-walled room, painted bright purple. This small
By Becky Meyerson I was wandering through the bookstore, not really having a genre in mind to purchase. Aimless and meandering are accurate descriptors of my shopping habits that day, and my life at that time. I was deep in a season of transition: career change, caring for a new
As I wrote a Bible study on the book of Ephesians a few years ago, I sought to explain the Trinity as a daisy. The roots, stem, and flower all with different jobs/roles but the same essence. I used one word that I should not have in my illustration, “separate.”
Article by: Marnie Hammar As winter drags its feet and the fluff on my slippers wears thin, I’m often tempted to slip into a rhythm in my spiritual walk that looks suspiciously close to the winter blues. That draw into dormancy and the desire to bury into blankets can transfer
Article by: Laura Bailey My hand hovered over the social media apps on my phone. The Holy Spirit had undeniably convicted me—those little square icons were distracting me from the work God had called me to do in a big way. As my finger flirted with the screen, I began
Article by: Michele Morin “You can say ‘no,’” he said softly, in a whisper, so our son would not hear. Immediately, my guard went up. It was Christmas time, so my planner was bulging its squares with lists of things to buy and to wrap and to bake. What was
The 2020 “Fish & Loaves” Grant Initiative has ended. Thanks to all who participated! Article by: Sarah Koontz Today we are excited to announce a brand new “Fish & Loaves” Grant we received to cultivate new monthly donors for Living by Design Ministries. The grantmakers desire to help us inspire
Article by: Collene Borchardt I have always loved flowering trees. The beautiful blooms announcing new life bring me so much joy. So, you can imagine my delight when my husband agreed to buy two for our yard! I went to the local landscaping company and picked out two beautiful serviceberry
Article by: Robin L Seaton I sat in the parking lot watching Christmas shoppers come and go like bees from a hive—hurrying to finish their shopping and get out of the weather. I wanted a peaceful Christmas for my son, our first since my husband had passed. Yet, I dreaded
Article by: Taryn Nergaard Bible reading wasn’t always enjoyable for me. At times, reading Scripture felt like a chore—a necessary struggle to become a “good Christian.” I didn’t grow up reading the Bible, so when I accepted Jesus into my life at nineteen years old, I assumed I should read
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