A Guest Post by Jodi Fairclough Recently, I witnessed a friend experiencing a depth of pain that caused my heart to shatter in sympathy. Her struggle touched a place in me that remembers, all too well, how debilitating and life altering pain can be. Her pain was ugly, unfair, and undeserved. This caused me to […]
The Transformative Power of Pain and Suffering Read More »
Article By: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries Exactly two days before the eagerly anticipated first day of school, my husband and I decided to homeschool our oldest daughter. She’s struggled with dyslexia the past five years and we just didn’t have a peace about sending her back to traditional school. Everything was fine
Finding Brave Beauty in A Season Full of Change Read More »
A Guest Post by Samantha Carter.* 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
When You Feel All Alone in Your Grief 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 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 I love it when my “everyday romantic” surprises me with flowers. This time the blooms are a refreshing mixture of vibrant tulips. I create a hodgepodge of floral arrangements – mason jars overflowing with inspiration – to set around my house and keep the winter blues
When You are Tempted to Overbloom + 3-minute Video Illustration Read More »
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries A few months ago I discovered my youngest daughter’s love language {insert enthusiastic and unapologetic momstyle dance moves here}. This, my friends, is a huge victory in my little corner of the universe. My little 8-year-old miss is strong-willed, sassy, creative, and oh-sooooooo-emotional. I’ve always
The ONE thing I did that transformed my relationship with my daughter… Read More »
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries For the rest of your life, people will be trying to find words to describe you, to sum you up, and to categorize you. Humans label things, it’s what they do. And if you are not careful, you will start to define yourself by the
The Price We Pay for the Labels We Wear + Video Read More »
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries After a devastating miscarriage and a season of unexpected infertility, I was finally a mother. In spite of the joy I felt, I could not shake the feeling that something was missing in my life. The beautiful burden of motherhood with all its sleepless nights,
How to Satisfy your Craving for Connection Read More »
