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 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
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
By Michele Morin I began to picture cobwebs growing in the corners of my email inbox, and my impatience was rivaled only by my disappointment. After two years of watching my speaking ministry grow, suddenly the invitations had stopped coming. Of course, I kept all my fraught feelings to myself.
Paul’s epistle to the Galatians is highly esteemed within the church and often regarded as one of Paul’s most important letters. It has been given such titles as the Magna Carta of spiritual liberty, the Christian Declaration of Independence, and the battle cry of the Reformation. Galatians teaches believers about
By Lisa Garon In February 2020, my family was actively involved in various ministries at our large, multi-campus church. Aside from being on staff in an administrative role, my husband and I led a marriage workshop and facilitated our respective Bible study groups. Our teenage son attended the high school
By Jana Fraley I was enjoying a beautiful Wyoming morning with its clear blue sky and sunshine, soaking in the contentment of a perfect summer day when my brother called. Suddenly the peace and solitude I’d felt was gone. My brother and I are close; most of the time, we
By Donna Bucher Along with our youngest daughter, my husband and I stood in a hospital room gathered with my son, his wife, her parents and grandfather. We were all excited for the much-anticipated day of the birth of my son’s first child. For first-time parents and grandparents, the long
by Nikki White I found myself lost and endlessly circling around my “name it and claim it” beliefs on the day my young mother died. Our family had held the prayer cloths, claimed the healing, quoted the verses and refused to say “cancer.” As negative reports increased, so did our
By Desi Zacharias When I first became a mom, I had so many dreams and plans for exactly how life would go. Except, life doesn’t go exactly as we plan it, does it? I distinctly remember organizing every detail about how our family devotional times would go. I was determined
By Hadassah Treu Will there ever be a stable routine again? This question echoes in my mind while I lay exhausted on the couch after the heavy burst of grief. My heart is weary of so much pain, sadness, and disappointment. After the unexpected loss of my husband, my life
I have always appreciated Billy Graham’s humble spirit and bold approach to ministry. He was an ordinary man who God used to accomplish extraordinary things—a worthy role model for us all. In their book, entitled The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham, Harold Myra and Marshall Shelly detail 21 essential leadership
By Arris Charles I remember my heart’s plea… “I’m so exhausted and overwhelmed by my to-do list.”“I really want to do something that’s just for me.”“But I want to serve my family with a joyful heart too.” Those were the echoes of my soul at one time. I am not
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
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