Trusting God when life is painful doesn't always feel like the most natural thing to do- but through the Holy Spirit and with some of the practical, wise suggestions in this week's featured post, we can.  And what a sweet blessing it is, to lean on Him!  This week's featured post for the Grace and Truth link up is by Leslie Newman who writes at Journey to Imperfect.  It's titled, How to Trust God When Life is Painful.  I hope you'll take a moment to visit and be encouraged as I was. 

Afternoon tea.  You don’t have to be British and you don’t have to be a six-year-old girl to have fun with this idea.  Hosting an afternoon tea is a sweet way to let your girlfriends know you appreciate them.  

As a culture, we sure do tend to fight against rest!  This week's featured post is a good reminder of why it's a good idea to slow down. It's called How Rest Can Redeem Our Homes by Nicole, who writes at Redeeming Home. I hope you'll take a moment to go, say hello, and be encouraged as I was! 

Prayer is a powerful tool that we have at our disposal when it comes to our marriages.  I loved this week's post by Valerie Murray (Cord of 6) called, 10 Powerful Reasons to Pray for Your Marriage.

It's this week's featured post for the Grace and Truth link up.  I hope you'll take a moment to go, say hello, and be encouraged as I was!

When we think about preparing our homes for guests, I think a good question to ask is,

“What can we do to make people feel honored and loved?”

Doing what we can to make other people feel loved is the heart of hospitality. 

If we are to follow the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, then we need to love his "sheep" unconditionally and wholeheartedly, the way he does.  That's what this week's featured post is all about.  It's titled, Searching for a Lost Sheep- and it's written by Julia of Committing My Way. I was really encouraged and challenged by Julia's post.  I hope you'll take a moment to go and say hello! 

Over the next few weeks on this blog, we’ll explore different ways to connect with other people and welcome them into our homes and lives.  These types of efforts are often rewarded by stronger community bonds and new friendships.  Those are wonderful blessings: good for your heart, mind, and soul.  But as Christians, there’s another, more important reason behind our desire to love our neighbors

Sometimes it's so easy to forget the most important thing.  As children of God, we are his and he is ours.  That's the topic of today's featured post by Stacey Pardoe.  It's titled, For the Worn, the Weary, and the Failures. I was deeply encouraged by Stacey's words.  I hope you'll take a moment to go, say hello, and be reminded of the most important thing. 

God’s eternal, inerrant Word is the basis behind all wisdom for life.  If you want to hear what God is saying to YOU, then you need to be spending time in daily Bible study. 

This week's featured post for Grace and Truth link up is a message that can never be told too many times.  It's called, Making Space for Jesus, by Tammy Kennington. It's all about the beauty of the relationship we can have with God. Tammy also offers a free printable with this post.  I hope you'll take a moment to go, be encouraged, and say hello!