• On a related note, we will now begin a journey down a little street called Memory Lane, courtesy of the Fresh Prince. Matt will never be the same.
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    On a related note, we will now begin a journey down a little street called Memory Lane, courtesy of the Fresh Prince. Matt will never be the same.
  • “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” – Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These verses came to mind this morning as I scrolled through social media. I mean, I had just finished my Bible reading & prayer time, but I needed a few more mins before I was ready to face the day. NBD, right? 🤷 But as I remembered God’s words to the Israelites, I reflected on what most of my days actually look like. What am I putting in my mind (& my heart) when I sit in my house, as I go through my day, when I lie down, and when I rise? I wish I could say it is the words of God, but far more often my moments are filled with things like Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon. As Rich Mullins wisely sang, “The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things.” How can we ensure God’s words are on our hearts? It starts with intention. This isn’t something that just happens, my friend. And God knows that. He told the Israelites to “bind them as a sign on your hand” (v 8) and “write them on the doorposts” (9).  We can’t simply say, “I need to think about God’s Word more” & expect it to just happen. Keeping our hearts & minds focused on Him takes deliberate choices. Now more than ever, voices are constantly competing for our time, attention, and devotion. We must be intentional & diligent about keeping our eyes on the Giver of all good things. (Keep reading in the comments for some of the ways I am trying to shift my focus!) #hopewriters #christianwriters #christianliving #faithinspired #propelwomen #proverbs31woman #everydaymasterpiece
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    “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” – Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These verses came to mind this morning as I scrolled through social media. I mean, I had just finished my Bible reading & prayer time, but I needed a few more mins before I was ready to face the day. NBD, right? 🤷 But as I remembered God’s words to the Israelites, I reflected on what most of my days actually look like. What am I putting in my mind (& my heart) when I sit in my house, as I go through my day, when I lie down, and when I rise? I wish I could say it is the words of God, but far more often my moments are filled with things like Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon. As Rich Mullins wisely sang, “The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things.” How can we ensure God’s words are on our hearts? It starts with intention. This isn’t something that just happens, my friend. And God knows that. He told the Israelites to “bind them as a sign on your hand” (v 8) and “write them on the doorposts” (9).  We can’t simply say, “I need to think about God’s Word more” & expect it to just happen. Keeping our hearts & minds focused on Him takes deliberate choices. Now more than ever, voices are constantly competing for our time, attention, and devotion. We must be intentional & diligent about keeping our eyes on the Giver of all good things. (Keep reading in the comments for some of the ways I am trying to shift my focus!) #hopewriters #christianwriters #christianliving #faithinspired #propelwomen #proverbs31woman #everydaymasterpiece
  • “I am ready for something hard,” I told God, convinced I needed something to shake me up and grow my faith. I was ready. Or so I thought. When I thought about hard and being stretched and stepping out in faith, I had a few ideas about what that should look like. Unlike @jenniesallen, who promised God her “anything,” I had unintentionally offered God *my* version of “anything.” In other words, I was willing to trust him—as long as I could provide the terms and conditions. Adoption, homeschooling, and moving were on my list. Feeling isolated and worthless for six months was not. Watching my children struggle daily was not. It’s easy to ask for challenges when we can choose them. It’s easy to give up something we never wanted in the first place. Unfortunately, we rarely get to choose our hard. It is not our job to dictate how God should challenge us. Our job is to approach God with open hands and trust he will provide everything we need. I don’t know what challenges you are facing or what has led you to them. I do know this: We may not always choose our circumstances, but we can always choose whether we trust God to know what is best for us. And he always proves himself worthy of our trust. #trustgod #hopewriter #everydaymasterpiece #christianblogger #godisgood #speaklife #proverbs31woman #shespeakstruth #propelwomen #christianliving
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    “I am ready for something hard,” I told God, convinced I needed something to shake me up and grow my faith. I was ready. Or so I thought. When I thought about hard and being stretched and stepping out in faith, I had a few ideas about what that should look like. Unlike @jenniesallen, who promised God her “anything,” I had unintentionally offered God *my* version of “anything.” In other words, I was willing to trust him—as long as I could provide the terms and conditions. Adoption, homeschooling, and moving were on my list. Feeling isolated and worthless for six months was not. Watching my children struggle daily was not. It’s easy to ask for challenges when we can choose them. It’s easy to give up something we never wanted in the first place. Unfortunately, we rarely get to choose our hard. It is not our job to dictate how God should challenge us. Our job is to approach God with open hands and trust he will provide everything we need. I don’t know what challenges you are facing or what has led you to them. I do know this: We may not always choose our circumstances, but we can always choose whether we trust God to know what is best for us. And he always proves himself worthy of our trust. #trustgod #hopewriter #everydaymasterpiece #christianblogger #godisgood #speaklife #proverbs31woman #shespeakstruth #propelwomen #christianliving
  • 2021 is the year of hope, the year of change. Of course, it’s also year 2 of the pandemic, a time of continuing unrest, and (still) mired in uncertainty. We want to feel better and be hopeful, but we are still grieving and worried. Our hearts tell us to cling to hope, our eyes tell us that our circumstances are still hard. The tension pulls at us until we think we just can’t take it anymore! I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL! Lean in, friend, because I need to tell you something important… You are allowed to feel more than one thing at a time. It’s OK to feel both frustrated and hopeful, to be simultaneously discouraged and confident. Because that’s the reality we live in. It is both good and hard, broken and beautiful. Of course, this applies to the happenings in our world today—the pandemic, the political unrest, and all that goes along with them. But this is true of our everyday lives as well. It’s OK to have moments of joy in the middle of grief. It doesn’t dishonor or invalidate the hard. It’s OK to be laughing with friends and suddenly struck by the sadness of a struggle you’re going through. Your grief doesn’t undermine your joy. In fact, friend, our ability to feel complex—and even conflicting—emotions is part of what makes life so wonderful. Because we can see the beauty in the brokenness, we can find joy amid grief. We don’t have to be just one thing. God doesn’t call us to ignore the brokenness in and around us, but to cling to the hope that He is with us in the middle of it. And when we can really accept that, when we can lean into it instead of fighting against it, it is incredibly freeing. We don’t have the added weight of false guilt piled on top of our already muddled feelings. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). And sometimes, we do both in the same conversation! So today if you are feeling both weary and expectant… if sorrow and joy are at war in your heart… call a truce. Let them both have their say. And remember the words of Paul, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). #hopewriterlife #lifeonpurpose #christianwriter
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    2021 is the year of hope, the year of change. Of course, it’s also year 2 of the pandemic, a time of continuing unrest, and (still) mired in uncertainty. We want to feel better and be hopeful, but we are still grieving and worried. Our hearts tell us to cling to hope, our eyes tell us that our circumstances are still hard. The tension pulls at us until we think we just can’t take it anymore! I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL! Lean in, friend, because I need to tell you something important… You are allowed to feel more than one thing at a time. It’s OK to feel both frustrated and hopeful, to be simultaneously discouraged and confident. Because that’s the reality we live in. It is both good and hard, broken and beautiful. Of course, this applies to the happenings in our world today—the pandemic, the political unrest, and all that goes along with them. But this is true of our everyday lives as well. It’s OK to have moments of joy in the middle of grief. It doesn’t dishonor or invalidate the hard. It’s OK to be laughing with friends and suddenly struck by the sadness of a struggle you’re going through. Your grief doesn’t undermine your joy. In fact, friend, our ability to feel complex—and even conflicting—emotions is part of what makes life so wonderful. Because we can see the beauty in the brokenness, we can find joy amid grief. We don’t have to be just one thing. God doesn’t call us to ignore the brokenness in and around us, but to cling to the hope that He is with us in the middle of it. And when we can really accept that, when we can lean into it instead of fighting against it, it is incredibly freeing. We don’t have the added weight of false guilt piled on top of our already muddled feelings. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). And sometimes, we do both in the same conversation! So today if you are feeling both weary and expectant… if sorrow and joy are at war in your heart… call a truce. Let them both have their say. And remember the words of Paul, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). #hopewriterlife #lifeonpurpose #christianwriter
  • Friends, we all may be feeling a little spun around after last year -like blindfolded in the middle of the desert. Are you looking for a new devotional to put you back on the road toward home? 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦: 30 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶 is a great way to re-center yourself on God and His Word, the compass to our true North. This tool explores what God says about our identity and purpose so that we might find how to live a life of significance. Let’s take some time this year to immerse ourselves daily in God’s Word. Let’s spend time with the One who created us, the very One who gives us purpose. Let’s remember who we are and Whose we are. G𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1736259202/) 𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀 & 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲 (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1138445778), or go to my website (www.KatyEpling.com) for the ebook! #hopewriterlife #bookrelease #lifeonpurpose #lifeonpurposebook #purposefulliving #speaklife #propelwomen #proverbs31woman #devotionaljournal #studygodsword #christianliving #everydaymasterpiece
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    Friends, we all may be feeling a little spun around after last year -like blindfolded in the middle of the desert. Are you looking for a new devotional to put you back on the road toward home? 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦: 30 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶 is a great way to re-center yourself on God and His Word, the compass to our true North. This tool explores what God says about our identity and purpose so that we might find how to live a life of significance. Let’s take some time this year to immerse ourselves daily in God’s Word. Let’s spend time with the One who created us, the very One who gives us purpose. Let’s remember who we are and Whose we are. G𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1736259202/) 𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀 & 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲 (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1138445778), or go to my website (www.KatyEpling.com) for the ebook! #hopewriterlife #bookrelease #lifeonpurpose #lifeonpurposebook #purposefulliving #speaklife #propelwomen #proverbs31woman #devotionaljournal #studygodsword #christianliving #everydaymasterpiece
  • Guys, I’ve been sitting on another little announcement… Last year I had the privilege of meeting one of the loveliest, most hope-filled women God has created, @sararward. In fact, you may well remember her as one of the speakers in the Life on Purpose Summit or when I was a guest on her podcast, Made for Hope. Sara is inspiring in her writing and encouraging as a friend, and I have loved getting to know her! Well, buckle up, because it’s about to get even better! As Sara and I have chatted about our respective ministries and the ways we want to encourage those around us, we found a whole lot of overlap. Both of us experienced unexpected heartache. Both of us have watched God work in and through our hard circumstances. Both of us want to share the hope and joy God offers in the middle of life’s trials. So we decided to join forces, as it were. Today I join Sara again on the Made for Hope podcast—but not as a one-time guest. I will actually get to pop up as a guest co-host through all of 2021! I’M SO EXCITED!!!! I won’t be on every episode, but throughout the year I’ll be co-hosting with her many times (every 2-3 episodes) to chat about many things, including hope, purpose, and honoring God with our everyday, ordinary lives. Sara already does a fantastic job with this, and I am so thankful she has invited me to link arms with her in it. So click the link in my bio or hop over to your favorite podcast app to listen to us today as we chat about what God has taught us through the craziness that was 2020 and how we plan to move forward intentionally into 2021. Then click the “subscribe” button so you don’t miss a single episode. Thanks for joining us in this journey! #hopewriterlife #christianspeaker #podcastlife #madeforhopepodcast #madeforhope #podcasthost
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    Guys, I’ve been sitting on another little announcement… Last year I had the privilege of meeting one of the loveliest, most hope-filled women God has created, @sararward. In fact, you may well remember her as one of the speakers in the Life on Purpose Summit or when I was a guest on her podcast, Made for Hope. Sara is inspiring in her writing and encouraging as a friend, and I have loved getting to know her! Well, buckle up, because it’s about to get even better! As Sara and I have chatted about our respective ministries and the ways we want to encourage those around us, we found a whole lot of overlap. Both of us experienced unexpected heartache. Both of us have watched God work in and through our hard circumstances. Both of us want to share the hope and joy God offers in the middle of life’s trials. So we decided to join forces, as it were. Today I join Sara again on the Made for Hope podcast—but not as a one-time guest. I will actually get to pop up as a guest co-host through all of 2021! I’M SO EXCITED!!!! I won’t be on every episode, but throughout the year I’ll be co-hosting with her many times (every 2-3 episodes) to chat about many things, including hope, purpose, and honoring God with our everyday, ordinary lives. Sara already does a fantastic job with this, and I am so thankful she has invited me to link arms with her in it. So click the link in my bio or hop over to your favorite podcast app to listen to us today as we chat about what God has taught us through the craziness that was 2020 and how we plan to move forward intentionally into 2021. Then click the “subscribe” button so you don’t miss a single episode. Thanks for joining us in this journey! #hopewriterlife #christianspeaker #podcastlife #madeforhopepodcast #madeforhope #podcasthost