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 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
by Marissa Bondurant I can still remember a text I got one day while at the pediatric cancer clinic. I was holding my four-year-old daughter during her weekly chemo treatment when my phone dinged. I was so exhausted and overwhelmed I didn’t even want to look at the message. But
by Hannah Jessen Conway During the recent gasoline shortage, I found myself with an empty tank. After finally finding a gas station with gas, I began to fill up my car when the person behind me got out of his car. “Don’t take it all!” I glanced back at him,
By Nikki Evanson Saying no to others has always been a challenge for me. I was under the impression that if I said no to someone, they might not like me or invite me to participate in the future. Because of my fear, I always said yes to everyone and
By Pamela Henkelman I hate to admit it, but I feel a little disappointed in God today. I crawl under my cozy blanket in my favorite chair as a warm cup of coffee waits on the side table. I’m ready with my Bible and journal to record my conversation with
by Sandra Bretschneider God has made Himself known on the pages of Scripture. When I was a young girl, I sat in Sunday School class and learned about the character of God. My teacher taught me about His faithfulness through the story of Noah’s ark, His provision through the manna
by Katy Kauffman My love for all things art propelled me from booth to fantastic booth at the local Scrapbook Expo (yes, that’s a thing). I mingled with hundreds of artsy ladies who all shared a love for scrapbooking or card-making—dozens of booths filled with craft supplies made this annual
By Barbara Latta Our worldview is the lens through which we develop our attitudes, beliefs, judgments, behavior, and speech. According to Dr. George Barna, children begin developing a life perspective as early as 18 months, and those opinions can be cemented into their souls by age 13. I grew up
By Theresa Bodeker What is our first instinct when we don’t get the outcome we want? When our day is unraveling and headed in the wrong direction? When our problems seem to be cropping up faster than weeds on a sunny day? If you are anything like me, you may
Article by: Sarah Koontz In John 10:10, Jesus revealed His purpose in coming to earth. In this passage, He declared, “I have come so that they (you) may have life and have it in abundance.” Jesus came to do a new thing—to introduce a new covenant and bring God’s kingdom
By Linda Lyle Do you remember your first love? My first love was words. I was hooked from the moment a teacher showed me how letters make words and words make a story. I was a voracious reader. The library was my sanctuary, where I found a special kind of
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