Our fingers have been programmed in this day and age to scroll, double tap, text, and type. The other day my friend was telling me that her three year old can open the iPad and turn on his movies without help. Our minds and hands have been rewired to go straight to our phones. Without even realizing it, we take part in the “daily scroll.” Instead of taking a walk with a friend, we scroll through their lives. Picture after picture on Instagram, post after post on Facebook, tweet after tweet on Twitter. We scroll, scroll, scroll and take in so much that we don’t know what to do with the information overload. I know that the “daily scroll” has left me feeling disconnected, fruitless, and down most days. You may find yourself in the same delusion after your own daily scroll.

Glancing at the test, the two pink lines caught my eye. Two. Not just one. Two pink lines. I looked at my husband in stunned surprise and held it out for him to see. He led me to the couch and I proceeded to miss the couch and just fall straight to the floor in my usual dramatic fashion. We’re pregnant. We both sat there for what seemed like hours letting it sink in deep. The surprise and excitement mixed with the worry and unknowns filled out hearts with a flood of emotions. The next nine months were going to change our lives. The day we found out we were pregnant was exciting and overwhelming.

“ And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (emphasis mine) “Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may […]

(Above photo by Nicole from Bloom the Blog) A Call to Love God’s Word More Than The World A few months ago I was reading in Isaiah 58 and these words that God spoke to the Israelites sunk deep into my heart: “And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places […]

Good = morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; profit or advantage, worth; benefit “I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’” Psalm 16:2 My brain has been trying to understand the goodness of God lately. When doubt arises, there is a conflict between my definition of good versus Scripture’s definition. In many ways, they don’t […]

Last March I had no idea where Life Lived Beautifully was going. To be honest, I was at my wits end with trying to make a small business work. I was trying and trying and trying and getting no where. My heart was so weary and my spirit was defeated. I was on the brink of giving up and throwing in the towel. At the time, I had been making necklaces, stationery, and art prints. Though I loved creating these things, they weren’t bringing my heart life and I knew there was something more. I longed to share Jesus and His truth, but I didn’t know how I was to do it! I read through the journal I was using in this season and found these honest words of desperation:

At the beginning of this year, I almost quit Instagram and social media altogether. My heart was in a deep struggle. Through the scrolling and the posting I found a lack of encouragement and noticed that my heart was prone to be filled with an overload of information and a self-centered point of view. At the time, I had just begun creating stationery and art prints for Life Lived Beautifully and longed for it to make a difference. (It wasn’t until April that the Lord gave me the dream for the “Give Me Jesus” Journal.) I didn’t want to post another picture that people would scroll past and not pay attention to. I wanted each word and each post to matter for the Kingdom.

Mornings are my favorite time of day. The earth is still, the coffee is brewing, and my heart has yet to get after its’ long to do list. I hunger after the stillness that can only be touched in the morning time. The reason this time of day is so dear to my heart is because it is when I meet with the Lord. No distractions, no things done, no one to talk to, just me and my Lord. This time is sacred and holy, the most important thing I do each day.

Mornings are my favorite time of day. The earth is still, the coffee is brewing, and my heart has yet to get after its’ long to do list. I hunger after the stillness that can only be touched in the morning time. The reason this time of day is so dear to my heart is […]

I have been an avid-journaler since I was in the 7th grade. I attended a private, Christian school and had a Bible teacher who taught us about the importance of studying the Bible as well as journaling. Prior to hearing this, I only considered journaling as a sort of diary where I wrote down my feelings, what happened in my day, and anything else that popped into my head. Needless to say, there wasn’t much fruit from these diaries in elementary school, other than the fruit of laughter when I read what I wrote! My teacher had us start a journal in class that we used to answer hard questions and study the depths of Scripture. I began to see the importance of writing out my thoughts, thinking critically, and talking to the Lord each day.