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 Michelle Shook If someone asked you to summarize the entire Bible in one word, what would you choose? There was a time when I would have said “long” or “confusing.” Then one day, I decided to do something crazy; I read the whole thing cover to cover in six
By Rachel Greening He couldn’t love me well. His attempts left me emotionally bruised and bleeding more times than I could count. He said he loved me—and he thought he did—but whether he lacked the skill or the understanding, I was always left shattered and feeling unmistakably unloved. After decades,
By Bethany Broderick The clock read 7:30 a.m., and I was already behind. I raced around my house—re-washing a load of sour towels, worrying about the e-mails pinging my inbox, and urging my kids to hurry up because we were late. I glanced at my unopened Bible on my nightstand,
By: Sarah Koontz Several years ago, I started writing Bible studies because I noticed something I couldn’t ignore. So many women wanted to read Scripture, but they weren’t always sure where to begin or how to understand what they were reading. They loved God’s Word, but it often felt intimidating
By Patricia Russell He asked for a time to meet and have a conversation, but for all sorts of reasons, the response was always, “I don’t have time.” After weeks and months of the same response, he stopped asking. The lack of communication spilled over into other areas. The relationship
By Sarah McClelland Sunlight pours through the cracks in the curtain, steeping my room in a warm but unwelcome glow. I squint at my clock. Morning, already? My head sinks back onto the pillow, and I quietly hope time rolls back so I can get a few more hours of
By Jana Carlson What’s your “if only”? What change are you convinced will finally bring you peace? Maybe it’s a job, a diagnosis, a relationship, or some sort of breakthrough. If only we had more financial stability.If only parenting were easier.If only my health improved.If only our marriage were better.If
By Jenny Marcelene Standing in the toy and picture book-strewn dining room, I stared out our third-floor apartment window. The sun cast a shadow across the rocky, empty lot across the alley. Unsettledness crept across my heart. How do I teach my preschooler and toddler to follow Jesus? Discipleship felt
By Jen Ludwig Advent (from the Latin word adventus) means “coming” or “arrival” and is traditionally a time of preparation. During these weeks before December 25th, we are getting ready for the arrival of our Savior. We wait expectantly for the coming of the King through the eyes of the
By Rachel Greening It was a practice I said I would never employ as I caressed my bulging belly, feeling my first baby’s tiny limbs flutter inside me. But when in the wilds of raising a toddler, it came out by default. “I’m counting to three!” I tell my 20-month-old
Are you looking for a simple way to invite Christ into your Christmas? We have created a FREE Advent Reading Plan that takes just 15-minutes per day, 5-days per week to complete. As you walk through this 4-week plan, you will be invited to slow down, remember, anticipate, and rejoice
By Susan Cort Johnson Do you frequently use the word “blessed”? I consider myself blessed when I find a parking place in a crowded lot, have a warm fire on a cold, winter night, or wake up to the smell of coffee in the morning. We can list a multitude
By Cheryl Esper Balcom I flipped another page of my Bible, the thin paper crinkling. I frowned in concentration. I thought this would be simple. Surely, I could find examples of people giving thanks in the Bible. To my surprise, I wasn’t finding many. Locating ‘Thank You’ When we read
By Colleen C. Howard Some days, my mind feels like a whirlwind, life unravels around me, and clarity’s nowhere in sight. I’m in motion, but going nowhere. Consumed by the chaos and heat of my circumstances. In these moments, I struggle to connect with God. But prayer can extinguish the
Women around the world are craving God’s Word and we are intent on creating free resources and tools to satisfy your spiritual appetite. Most of our readers would agree that we could all benefit from carving out a bit more time and space for Jesus Christ in our hearts and
By Katherine Grote My four amazing children are my sun, moon, heart, and every other sappy thing people say. The oldest is 20-I-know-everything-about-life-can-you-put-some-money-in-my-account years old, two are teenagers, and the youngest is 11 going on 35. My kids are also the cause of the tic under my left eye and
By Amber Ginter Anxiety is a natural, human emotion. It can arise uninvited and be triggered by life’s circumstances—the good, the bad, or the ugly. When anxiety takes over our lives, we may struggle to separate the feeling from the truth. Even as Christians, this fight can seem never-ending. Being
By Joanna Eccles I’m in a difficult season with lots of changes and unknowns. I don’t like it—at all. My job ends soon, and I feel God calling me to move out of state. But I haven’t secured a new job yet. I love my current city, and I’m surrounded
By Sarah McClelland Whack! A plastic block launched from my toddler’s hand strikes me square between the eyes. I recoil at the sting. Whap! Another block strikes my chin. The rebellious streak went too far. Tears fill my eyes. I heave my pregnant body off the couch. Snatching the blocks
Saint Augustine described Paul’s conversion as “the violent capture of a rebel will.” Before God could use Paul for His purposes, He had to humble and reshape the man into His image. When Jesus Christ showed up in Paul’s life and called Him to a new way of living, Paul
By Nicole O’Meara What did you eat for lunch last Wednesday? If you can’t remember, you’re in good company. I can’t remember either (unless I’m keeping a food journal). Remembering mundane details like what we ate for lunch probably doesn’t matter in the long run. But we forget more important
By Margaret Kemp On a family trip along the Appalachian Trail to Catawba Mountain, we passed a sign that read, “Catawba Hospital.” That sign prompted my sons’ grandfather to tell a story about his father. In the early 1900s, Great-grandpa was a patient at Catawba Hospital. Located near mineral springs,
By Lynda Kelly “Should we take grandma an umbrella?” my daughter asked. A crack of thunder split the sky. Within seconds, rain poured down—the kind of desert storm that turns streets into rivers. I hesitated. It was late. The logical part of me offered every excuse to stay dry and
By Mary Spencer Veazey “I’m pregnant! Again!” one of my best friends exclaims to me after arriving at my house. My heart sinks and leaps for joy simultaneously. Can both things be true at the same time? At that moment, I realize they can. I’m filled with happiness for my
By entering your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
