The other day I was out running when I saw a big sign in the back of a car that said, "Pray to End Abortion!" I stared at the back of that car as it drove down the street away from me and I couldn't help but think, 'Isn't that kind of missing the point?' Don't get me wrong, I am morally opposed to abortion. I believe in the sanctity of human life and I believe that all life should be protected and cherished, especially the lives of those who have no voice to advocate for themselves. I … [Read more...]
7 Documentaries to Watch to Impact Your World
Over the past several years my hubs and I have developed a love for documentaries. It probably started with our subscription to Netflix which we stream through our Blueray player. I love all the access to documentaries that Netflix gives us - that we didn't have before. And since recently canceling our cable (again) now that the Olympics are over - we're back to relying on Netflix for most of our TV viewing. Just like the books I've read (and am currently reading) that have impacted my … [Read more...]
Because of your words…
Just a little encouragement that sharing your story with others around you can offer them help and healing. Your story is a gift! ______________________________________________ Please visit our Sponsors: 5 Simple Ingredients - doTERRA Essential Oils … [Read more...]
What’s Your Story? Giving Hope and Healing through the Gift of Story
As we think about what it means to see other people in light of their stories - their unique situations and experiences and circumstances - it's also important to take hold of our own stories, and how our stories can impact others in the world around us. Just like we can't know the stories of people around us that we come into contact with unless we take the time to ask them and to listen, others around us can't know our stories or where we are coming from unless we share it with them. I … [Read more...]
Why You Need to Stop Judging and Put on Love
I caught myself doing it again today. I was driving my kids to school this morning and passed two people bundled up and walking along the road. They were walking on the road instead of the sidewalk, because the sidewalks are completely covered in snow, but I was annoyed that I had to slow down to go around them because there was a car in the lane next to me. I wondered why they were even walking on the street when it's so cold out. Or I was at the grocery store picking up a few things for … [Read more...]
6 Books that Changed My Life
Does it mean I'm getting old that my memory is a little hazy? When I think back to the very beginning of the radical change that has happened in my life over the past 6+ years, I really don't remember exactly when it started. But I do remember what started it. I read a book. Books are dangerous things, aren't they?! They have such power to inform and educate, encourage and inspire, challenge and convict. They can be so-so-good-I-don't-want-to-put-it-down and at the same time … [Read more...]
Live with Compassion, Care for Creation, Impact Your World!
You may have noticed things look a little (okay A LOT!!) different around here! Not only is there an amazing beautiful new design by the amazingly talented Mindy of Simply Designs, but you'll also notice a new tagline underneath Live Renewed, and some different categories in the navigation bar. So, I wanted to give you the inside scoop on the new direction and vision I have for this blog. Recently, I was watching a documentary about child labor in the chocolate industry as research for a … [Read more...]
Humanity is like an enormous spider web…
*Disclosure – There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I’ll receive a small commission. Thanks for supporting Live Renewed! I first read this quote in the More With Less Cookbook (which surprisingly, the first two chapters of the book before the recipes are extremely inspiring for why it's important to make intentional and conscious choices about the way we choose to live our lives) and it has stuck with me since then. I really love the whole … [Read more...]
Should Christians Love Shopping?
The biggest shopping day of the year is right around the corner. And lots of people are talking about whether or not we should go out shopping on Thanksgiving and what it means about our culture and society that Black Friday is becoming almost a bigger Holiday than the one that we will celebrate tomorrow. I overhead a lady one time gushing about how much she LOOOOOVES (insert hands pressed to chest and eyes squinted shut) shopping and how she was SO excited for Black Friday because she just … [Read more...]
How to Give Extended Support to a Grieving Family
How do you provide extended ongoing support to friends or family after someone they love has died? After writing last week about cancer and losing my dad, and with the Holiday Season upon us, this topic has been on my mind. In my experience, after a family loses a loved one, it can be a hard and awkward time for people around them. This has been true both for me when I lost my dad and as I have had close friends who have experienced loss. It's hard to know what to say, what to do, … [Read more...]
