The Love Offering Guest Blog Series Archives

Setting a Restful Pace by Eryn Lynum

May 6, 2025

In the wild, animals fill their days with vital activities. They are focused on survival and reproduction, reflecting their God- given initiative to produce after their own kind. They hunt, gather, reproduce, and seek shelter. My family and I see this every autumn when we go up to watch the elk in rut season in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is fascinating and exhausting to watch. The male bull elk are busy gathering female cows and calves into small groups, called harems, and protecting them from rival males. The elk are solely focused on reproducing, finding food and shelter, and staying safe. These are their vital activities.

How to Grow in Gratitude by Alexandra Jensen

Apr 29, 2025

You’ve probably heard the inspiring verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” But what does this verse look like practically? “Gratitude” and “thanksgiving” are lofty words whose connotations often go unpinned. We all want to be grateful. But the “getting there” is where we can wind up a little lost. What does real-life gratitude look like? How can we cultivate thanksgiving and grow into the beautiful wildflowers God has created us to be with satisfied, appreciative hearts?

Giving a Word of Comfort by Karen Wingate

Apr 22, 2025

I have a reputation for colliding with other shoppers. When I do, I quickly explain about my restricted eyesight and make a joke about needing a driver’s license to operate a shopping cart. I couldn’t use that line the day I went shopping after visiting my mother a week after her stroke. While the stroke’s impact was mild, it changed the woman I knew. Her garbled words tumbled out of a droopy mouth, and she struggled to process thoughts already blurred by dementia. I was strong while I was with her, but by the time I reached the busy discount store, I feared that if I tried to give a reason for my carelessness, I would dissolve into a muddled mess.

Lessons in Lent: Death is the Door to Life by Sally Breedlove

Apr 15, 2025

How did we ever get it into our heads that the journey to the life we really want would be easy? The universe reminds us that life is born out of death. There is a rhythmic dying hidden in each season: the loss of the safety of the womb through the risk of birth, the laying down of one’s independence and autonomy for the good union of marriage, the seeds that die for vegetables and flowers to grow, and the peach blossoms that wither and fall to the ground so bubble hot peach crisp can crown a summer supper. Death is the door to life.

It ALWAYS Starts with Your Heart by Tom Bennardo

Apr 8, 2025

During a doomed-from-the-start attempt to attain so-called abs of steel, a personal trainer friend observed that the exercises I was using were fine, but my technique was all wrong. He said I needed to “engage my core” when attempting the dreaded crunches, mountain climbers, and dead bugs. It was possible, I was told, to go through the external motions without activating my core while doing so.

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