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Need more whimsy and wonder in your life? Laugh with Lisa as she pairs relatable stories with loved scriptures. If you feel exhausted and deflated like a leftover birthday balloon, this podcast is a simple, one-minute way to uplift your day. It will point you toward Jesus who died so that we could live more abundantly.
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Welcome to the (in)courage podcast! We are all different ages, in different life stages, and we come from different cultures and churches, but our common thread is the hope of Jesus. Each weekday we meet you right where you are as one of our writers shares what’s going on in her everyday life and how God’s right in the middle of it all. We bring our joys and struggles equally so that you can feel less alone, and be empowered by the hope Jesus gives. We hope you’ll bring us along with you on ...
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"We can remember His truth even when we are weary and our world is shaken. Those seasons when we feel weary with grief and exhaustion are exactly the times we most need to remember God's promises: We are His children. (1 John 3:1) We are chosen and dearly loved. (Colossians 3:12) Friend, if you're facing a trial today, I encourage you to rest your …
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Summary In this bonus episode of the (in)courage podcast, host Becky Keife interviews author Jenny Erlingsson about her debut novel, 'Her Part to Play.' They discuss the inspiration behind the book, the importance of storytelling, and the inclusion of racial and cultural diversity in Christian fiction. Jenny shares how writing fiction was her first…
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"Giving people the benefit of the doubt gives life to all your relationships. Not giving the benefit of the doubt will strangle the life right out of them. While genuine relationship problems need to be addressed, being hard to offend will draw folks to you like a bee to honey." Leave a comment for Kristen: https://incourage.me/?p=239900 -- In our …
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"We can let life’s hurdles and hardships be like arrows pointing us deeper to the heart of Jesus. Imagine Jesus leaning in close and saying, Yes, in all things my Father works for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) Yes, daughters, do not grow weary or lose heart. I endured the cross so you can endure whatever you face. (Hebrews 12:1-3) Y…
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"The Holy Spirit is how we will do every hard and holy thing. There won’t always be a roadmap or guidebook giving all the right answers. There won’t be writing on the wall or a blueprint mapping out the intricate details of God’s plans and promises. But . . . there will always, still, ever and only be the Holy Spirit. He, my dear friends, is how we…
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"“A modern romance with old-fashioned courage and depth.” Her Part to Play is Jenny Erlingsson’s debut novel and is described by Library Journal as “warm, funny, and faith-filled.” This “endearing romance,” according to Publisher’s Weekly, focuses on Adanne, a woman who accepts a last-minute job as a makeup artist for a movie that's filming in her …
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"God’s design for community didn’t stop at church attendance. He designed us to need each other. In a world that often glorifies self-sufficiency, let us have the courage to embrace God's design for community, recognizing that by working together and supporting one another, we can not only accomplish more but also experience the joy and fulfillment…
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"Jesus said, ‘"Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence." This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: "Love others as well as you love yourself."These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.' Matthew 22:34-40 The Message Instea…
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"Will I use my words and my presence to build or to destroy? Yes, we are all responsible for our own feelings and reactions and responses, but as sisters, we also belong to one another. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4 that we are members of one body and that even though we have different parts, we all come together for one purpose. I wonder what …
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"Often the “glory days” or the “good ol’ days” make it hard to find contentment in the present. It’s hard to step into an unknown future when we live in the comfort of yesterday’s memories. Friend, God’s not done with you. He isn’t disappointed that you’re different today than you were ten years ago. He wants you just the way you are, right now — c…
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"Scripture is clear: darkness exists. But the repeated promise remains: we won’t face the night alone. It may seem like we’ve been waiting for morning for a very long time, but we have not been left behind or lost, forgotten or abandoned. His eyes remain on us, His presence ever with us, no matter how deep or long or dark the night. One day not too…
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"Celebration cultivates joy. Joy harnesses hope. Hope renews your soul. Dance, feast, hope, rest, laugh, worship. Celebration looks different for everyone, but Christians should be an alleluia from head to foot, as Saint Augustine reminds us. Yet often, we aren't known for fun and celebration. I desire to be known as a joy giver. This isn’t an inst…
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"We will likely encounter things we may never fully understand or find answers to. Pain and heartbreak can be so intense and profound that, at times, we feel like we can't move forward. We may even feel like the world would be better off without us. I have been in that place, my friend, and I understand what you are going through. However, I can al…
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"Our great and tender God is not trying to force you to maximize your life. His rhythm is one of love and grace at a pace that won’t destroy your soul. He’s not asking you to try harder or do more. He spoke the world into being — what trouble does He ever have with His to-do list? You are not doing anything wrong if it seems like it is taking a lon…
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"It is a privilege to give our sorrows to the Prince of Grief. So, take your pain to the Lord in prayer. He hears you . . . paper cuts and all." Leave a comment for guest author Neidy: https://incourage.me/?p=238745 -- Stay organized and inspired every day of the year with an (in)courage Agenda Planner! Full of Scripture to encourage you, the (in)c…
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Our circumstances are all different but we can all agree that life is hard. Relationships are complex and brokenness comes in a thousand different shapes and shades. Thankfully, God doesn't leave us to figure it out or fumble through alone. His wisdom, joy, guidance, and strength are available to us right now, right where we are. And we want to exp…
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"If you've seen where God's goodness and grace have carried you through in the past, that same goodness and grace will meet you again. For all of the blessings and miracles that God had done, He knew that the Israelites were prone to forgetfulness. We forget, too. It's so easy to focus on what is missing, broken, or changed in our lives that we for…
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"The only thing that limits the Lord from working in my life is my lack of trusting Him. When we face circumstances that don't make any earthly sense, God doesn't want us to ask how. He wants us to say, “I don’t know how and I don’t have to know how, because my God is faithful and capable.” I needed to remember that the Lord is for me. If He is for…
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"The world needs what you have to offer. We need the one and only you. I want to be so comfortable in my skin that I don’t over-analyze, sanitize, or hide who I am and what’s important to me. The older I get, the harder it’s become to pretend to be what I’m not, and the more I recognize (and try not to rebel against) who God made me to be. And God …
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"God’s plans for our lives are invincible when we stay connected to Him. Let’s cling to God’s promises. Hold tight to His heart. Have strong roots that burrow deep into His affection for us. We will not falter. We will not fail. We will not lead a barren life at any age. Psalm 92:14 CSB says, “They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and gree…
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"There is only One whose sacrifice purchased a freedom we can’t lose. Today I honor the lives of men and women who lost their lives in war, not just in the United States but around the world. I will look at the black-and-white photos of my father and grandfather with respect, and I will call my son and daughter-in-law to let them know how much I lo…
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"I don’t have to be strong all the time. It's like what I tell my kids every night when I tuck them in. “You can rest. You can relax. I’m right here,” I tell them. I believe God tells us the same." Leave a comment for guest author Liv: https://incourage.me/?p=238734 -- The summer issue of DaySpring’s Everyday Faith magazine is now available! Pick u…
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"We can trust that grace is at work to calm what we cannot control. Emmanuel, the God-in-the-boat, knows every storm, every downpour, every barreling wave that threatens to topple us. He has never left our side. His presence is peace. His trust is deep. His whole life is given for us." Leave a comment for Laura: https://incourage.me/?p=239238 -- Th…
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"We have a profound, open-ended invitation to trust God and His promises. It is okay to question God's plan, to cry out in frustration, and to wrestle with doubt. Raw emotion is not foreign to the pages of Scripture. In the Psalms, we see David pouring out his heart before God, expressing his anger, confusion, and lament. In the midst of intense su…
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Relate to God better, dig deeper into His truth, and walk with Christ day in and day out. Immerse yourself in the timeless wisdom of Scripture, wrapped in the authenticity and passion of the cowboy way with the new devotional, Come & See: Cowboy Devotions to Strengthen Your Ride with Christ. Drawing on his own experiences as a seasoned cowboy and d…
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"Prayer isn’t about getting what we want; it’s about getting to know Jesus. When we pray, we are in the presence of our loving Father, learning more about who He is and who we are. Prayer always works because it always brings us into the life-changing presence of Jesus. Contrary to what we might feel, prayer isn’t pointless. I don’t know why some p…
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"God's power is enough to see you through. Often when God calls us to something big we feel too small to carry it out. We shy away from opportunities, conversations, and tables where God invites us to go because we don’t feel equipped. But if He calls you, you are not going in your own strength, wisdom, or authority. You are going in His name and H…
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"You are the daughter God intentionally and uniquely formed, and He rejoices extravagantly over you. Joy just might be found when you release whatever you're gripping and remember that you’ve already been found. And then you can decide that if there’s not a safe place to engage Christ-centered joy, you’ll give yourself permission to form it for you…
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"Oh, how He is faithful in our deep-rooted doubting. When we doubt that His glory could be real, that His story happened, that He makes us new and whole and scrubbed clean, even the hostas declare the Truth. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV" Leave a comment for A…
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"In the quiet surrender to vulnerability, I encountered a profound truth: facing our weaknesses isn't a sign of defeat but a gateway to God's power dwelling within us. It's a paradoxical dance where our brokenness becomes the canvas for His strength to shine brilliantly." Leave a comment for Nicole: https://incourage.me/?p=238737 -- Graduation seas…
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"God is always, always listening, and always, always still writing the story. God is the same God in my dreamy girls’ weekend away as He was in my sadness and solitude. God is the same God in our abundance as He is in our lack. It’s quite a truth to wrestle with. I see so much beauty and purpose in the slow answering of my good desire for good frie…
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"It’s okay that you’re human! If you’re holding yourself hostage over the belief that you should be superhuman and above needing regular rest, stop it. Accept the freedom and compassion God offered when He created Sabbath in the first place. Receive the rest Jesus promised when He invited all those who are weary and burdened to take on His light yo…
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"What would it look like to model 'not knowing?' In a culture obsessed with how-tos and telling others what to do, and in a society obsessed with accolades, levels, awards, and markers of "intelligence," what would it look like if we lived with deep concern and care for how we made others feel, instead of concern over what we know and who knows mor…
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"Everything you do today to build your faith muscles pays dividends down the road for Future You. You are strengthening your future self through all you do to connect with God. Every conversation with Him. Every minute spent in His Word. Every verse memorized. Every worshipful act. It all adds up. I call it "resourced faith." It's like building mus…
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"His glory is on display in each and every season -- if we just remember to look for it. In all seasons of the year and of our lives, Jesus comes for us. He welcomes us wholly at any time, in any space, in all of our seasons." Leave a comment and see pics of our new planner: https://incourage.me/?p=239047 -- Encourage all the moms in your life with…
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"As we step into a month full of festive awards nights, senior celebrations, and graduation for our daughter, the grief gathers quietly at the base of my throat. I anticipate the loss, but I also celebrate my girl spreading her wings and soaring into her next chapter of life. Friend, what milestones or memorials will you mark this month? Are you ex…
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"We are the moms who live in the push-pull of exhaustion and joy. We love this life even when we don’t like it. We love these kids with all of our beings — even when we may not like them very much. We thank God for the gift of love He gives in the form of sticky hands, flown coops, late nights, early mornings, birthday celebrations, cards in the ma…
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"Joy and goodness are abundant in the timely Word of the Lord. When we weigh our words and release them in His timing, Jesus breathes Proverbs 15:23 into action. Joy and goodness are abundant in the timely Word of the Lord. His Word is guaranteed not to return void. It ALWAYS accomplishes the work it was set forth to accomplish." Leave a comment fo…
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"I discovered something that helps in my moments of anxiety: I just let it happen. As I have started to allow my helplessness to stay, it reminds me of my hopefulness that Jesus also stays. In the Bible, He is given the nickname Emmanuel, which means God with us. He very easily could have seen us in our mess and decided to snap His fingers and reso…
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"The word "helper" in Hebrew (ezer) does not imply subordination but rather a partnership. I had been taught that God created Eve as a "helper" for Adam (Genesis 2:18). But what I had not been taught was that the word "helper" in Hebrew (ezer) does not imply subordination but rather a partnership. In fact, ezer is the same noun used in Psalm 33:20 …
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"There is no one among us who hasn’t tasted loneliness, who hasn’t held sadness in their hands like wadded-up tissue. It’s easy for us to imagine that no one else has or will hold the burdens that we do. It’s so natural that I’m not even sure we realize we’re doing it. We must stay tender to the humanity of others – this is the pathway to empathy, …
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"Disappointing people is not only unavoidable, it's often the right yes. In the words of my friend, Kim, a no hurts a little when it's given, but the wrong yes hurts a lot more later. So, we say no to good things in one season to say yes to best things. Whether a yes or a no, I'm learning there is strength and peace in letting my heart and mouth sa…
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"Sister, the way God made you is wondrous! You are distinct. Set apart. A one-of-a-kind masterpiece! If you’re a dreamer, don’t cram yourself into the box of an analytical thinker. If you’re loud, don’t let the world stifle your voice. If you’re vibrant, don’t dull your edges. If you’re intellectual or artsy or stoic or outdoorsy, don’t let an outs…
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