A guest post by Sarah Ann of Proverbs31Mentor.com.   Have you ever been in a season of waiting on God and trusting in His perfect timing? Ten years ago, I was in the waiting room of life, like Hannah in the Bible. Similar to Hannah, I was waiting for God to send me a child and my arms were aching for a child of my own. Through that season of painful waiting and desperate pleading, I discovered the joy and beauty of trusting God with empty hands as I surrendered my dream of motherhood to Him. While waiting on God may not be easy or short, there is beauty in the journey if you press into God and believe in His faithfulness. Just like Hannah in the Bible.   In fact, the story of Hannah in the Bible is one of hope and faith, and still holds priceless lessons for learn more...

A guest post by Timberly Gray of Living Our Priorities.   We are living in a time where integrity is often compromised in exchange for worldly gain. However, the book of Ruth reminds us how God honors integrity. Years ago, when I was in the real estate business and the market crashed, I remember observing agents conduct business with unethical practices to make a buck. To be honest, I struggled, watching them compromise their integrity and make more money than me (so it seemed). Until, one night at bible study, I heard the pastor say… “Integrity pays. What you compromise to gain you will eventually lose.”   Immediately, The Holy Spirit convicted my heart to no longer be concerned about what others were doing; but continue working in a manner that honors learn more...

Guest post by Tricia Goyer of www.triciagoyer.com/   A few weeks ago I was talking with my friend, Joanna, sharing about some of my recent struggles, especially with my attitude. “I’ve always known you to be a positive person,” Joanna told me. I chuckled, “That’s because most of the time we spent together was before John and I adopted seven more kids!” When Joanna and I met, I only had three children. In that season of life, I was busy with raising kids, volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center, and writing. I was busy, yes, but when John and I started adopted kids from hard places we transitioned from “busy” into survival mode.   Overwhelmed with the added chaos and mess (not to mention kids’ outbursts and anger), I found myself complaining a lot. So much learn more...

A guest post by Heather Creekmore of comparedtowho.me.   I remember the morning my Sunday School teacher pressed illustrated cut-outs of two sisters onto a large purple flannel board. The older was named Leah; the younger, Rachel. The story intrigued me. I knew right away which character I’d rather be: Rachel of course! Why would I choose to be Rachel over Leah in the Bible? It’s simple really. Rachel was beautiful. She caught the eye of Jacob who fell wildly in love with her. In my mind, this is what beauty was for. Beautiful women, in my middle school mind, had all their dreams come true. But, then there was Leah. The third wheel. An underdog. The woman no man wanted. She wasn’t as pretty as Rachel so her dad, Laban, had to trick someone into marrying her. Of learn more...

Guest Post by Sara Borgstede of www.theholymess.com.   There are few words as sweet to any person than the sound of their own name. All of us want to be recognized and appreciated for who we are. Mary Magdalene, the woman in the Bible who didn't recognize Jesus until after he said her name, teaches us the importance of faithfully following God's voice in our lives.   Who Was Mary Magdalene in the Bible?   Have you ever wondered "Who was Mary Magdalene in the Bible?" Mary Magdalene is a woman in the Bible who has created quite a stir of controversy. Scholars and Bible readers have debated about the character of Mary Magdalene, some even going so far as to say she was the wife of Jesus (such as Dan Brown in the popular book The DaVinci Code) or paint her learn more...