Article By: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries A 2002 study by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Family life Council found 88% of the children in evangelical homes leave church at the age of 18. Eighty-eight percent. Of those who leave, only 60 percent will ever return. Scary, right?!? This article was inspired by a message […]
Is the Christian Life REALLY the Best Life? Read More »
A Guest Post* I’m sitting on the dry grass in front of the coop. The green flecks of spring are beginning to grow though the dead fall grass still lingering. Green life, reaching for the nourishment of spring sun. Kristopher always loved watching the chickens for some reason. Here, now, I’m reminded of him. This
When You Feel All Alone in Your Grief Read More »
A Guest Post by Gleniece Lytle There are many things we do, as moms, to keep our homes running smoothly and our families fed, clean, and content. That is part of what gives us joy and purpose. But what mom doesn’t crave those quiet, uninterrupted moments? Those chocolate-melting-in-your-mouth-with-your-eyes-closed moments. Those precious moments between “Mom, I
Trading Silver Moments for God’s Sacred Gold Read More »
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Do you remember what Glinda the Good said to Dorothy at the end of Wizard of Oz? Dorothy was begging Glinda to help her get back home and Glinda’s reply was, “You don’t need to be helped any longer. You’ve always had the power to
One Daughter’s Yellowbrick Journey Back Home Read More »
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Why do humans complicate things so? Take babies, for example. They truly are the simplest of creatures. Eat. Sleep. Poop. REPEAT. That’s all they do! Yet I’ll never forget all the “must-have” gadgets cluttering my exceedingly small nursery when my first child arrived. Boppies, Diaper
How to Pray the UNcomplicated Way Read More »
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I press the button to end our call and brace myself for the tsunami of emotions that rush over me after a tense conversation with my mom. Disappointment. Sadness. Regret. Hopelessness. I had prepared the words beforehand; rehearsed them over and over in my mind. But I
Beauty for Ashes: How God Redeemed My Mother-Daughter Story Read More »
A Guest Post by Melody Quinn It’s not the memories of what I have done that plague me. It’s the memories of what I haven’t done. The conversations I haven’t had. The people I haven’t helped. The dreams I haven’t pursued. I didn’t know J.J. well, but I could tell that he was suffering. The slope
Biblical Encouragement for the Anxious Christian Woman Read More »
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Today I’m spilling my all-time, number-one, best-of-the-best secret to cultivating enduring friendships. But first, a confession… I am the only person I know who managed to get all the way through college without one single enduring friendship. Not. A. One. Oh, there were a few
My #1 Secret for Cultivating Enduring Friendships {+Never Unfriended Book Review} Read More »
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries With Easter just around the corner, I’ve been pondering the significance of the cross. Everything I am and everything I stand for is connected to the cross of Jesus Christ. His death gives me life; His resurrection gives me hope. I am grateful both of my children
A Cross-Centered Easter Tradition for Christian Families Read More »
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Photography by Kristi Foreman My husband and I are opposites. I am outspoken, he is reserved. I am a dreamer, he is realistic. I am driven, he is laid-back. I’ll never forget the friction these differences triggered early in our marriage. Finding your other half
Rooted in Faith: Embracing the 4-Fold Christian Life Read More »
