Monica Ritchie

Biblical Theology for Everyday Moms

Lifestyle

Christian Encouragement : A Checklist for Encouragers

There is a command throughout the Bible to encourage one another, to bless one another with Christian Encouragement. Here is somewhat of a “checklist” if you will, of how to offer Christian Encouragement! Build Each Other Up If you see something, say something! A spoken word of encouragement given at the “right time” can mean so much. It can push someone through a valley, or give joy to their spirit. You never know the impact of a kind and encouraging word. In today’s world maybe that doesn’t always mean saying it in person, maybe it’s a text, a phone call …

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Madden’s on Gull Lake

Our family vacation to Madden’s on Gull Lake was the perfect kick off to summer! Maddens is located on Gull Lake in Brainerd Minnesota. Which is the perfect little road trip from the Twin Cities. We drove up on a Friday after lunch and came home on Sunday. The kids only complaint, they wanted to stay longer! This trip was by far a highlight of our year, here’s the full scoop on everything we did, what we want to do more of and how you can save on your trip to Madden’s on Gull Lake! The Resort : Where We …

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How To Help A Child With Anxiety

When worry becomes more than concern, when it becomes hindering to your child’s life and yours, they may have anxiety. Now, to be clear and up front – I AM NOT A THERAPIST. I am a theologian, very different. However, my daughter has grappled through anxiety and these tips are from her therapist whom we saw together and she now see’s on her own. Here are tips on how to help a child with anxiety. Schedule A Time To Worry This might sound strange but it has been one of the most helpful tips we have gotten and put into …

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Justice?

There is a cry for justice in our culture. It is loud and it frankly is somewhat frightening. Take heart because here is what is true; Justice is a wonderful word. It is a character of God, it is who God is – He is JUST. Our culture’s cry for justice is truly a reflection of the heart for God in our nation. We can praise God for that. God is also mercy and grace, these characteristics of Himself all flow together in perfect harmony, working together to advance His Kingdom here on earth. I’ve been reminded in these days …

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South Dakota | Family Vacation

We just got back from a few days exploring South Dakota and in all honesty, it was one of our Favorite Family Vacations! Here’s the rundown on what we did, where we stayed and a few things we wish we’d done differently. First off, we rented an RV and I can’t even begin to tell you the excitement when it pulled up the driveway and we saw the name of the RV. It was called non other than The Minnie Winnie! This was the perfect size for the six of us traveling from Minnesota to South Dakota. The Badlands The …

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Northwestern Christian Writers Conference | 1:1 Appointment with Blythe Daniel

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to have a book editor look over your work and give you feedback? It’s an exciting and vulnerable feeling but at the Northwestern Christian Writers Conference you can do just that! I assure you, it’s not nearly as frightening as you might think, believe me, I did it and you can see how it unfolded below. After you’ve registered for the Northwestern Christian Writers Conference and chosen your industry expert (find out how to choose your industry expert HERE). You’re ready to prepare for your 1:1 Appointment. I met with the …

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Preparing for 1:1 Appointments

This is my first year attending the Northwestern Christian Writers Conference. I am just as excited as I am nervous. I am looking forward to all that I’ll learn from the industry experts. However, I’m definitely a little unsure of how to prepare for the 1:1 appointment. The 1:1 appointment is one of the things that drew me to the Northwestern Christian Writers Conference. It’s a chance to sit down 1:1, face to face, with an industry expert. This is when you’ll have an opportunity to present your work and get feedback. It’s a frightening thought to be critiqued, but …

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Memorize Scripture As A Family

I know from personal experience how important it is to memorize scripture! It’s something I continually try to work on even as an adult but it’s something I love to practice with my kids as well! I started doing this with my kids when they were two and three years old, showing you’re really never too young to start memorizing scripture! First, I took a picture frame, removed the photo and replaced it with a piece of paper. I then used a dry erase marker to write a verse on it. That picture frames with the verse then sat right …

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Cut Back

It’s spring here in Minnesota, which means that we’re all gardening! Part of preparing our landscaping is to cut back the previous years growth. We do this so that the plant can thrive in the new season. We cut the plant back to just the essentials. Recently, there has been an excessive amount of cut back in our own lives. The economy, jobs, our health and our social lives. It has been cut back, down to the essentials. Now, there is talk of things opening back up and pressing restart on it all has God’s word’s ringing in my ears. …

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How to read the Bible with your kids

Have you ever wondered how to read the bible with your kids? You want to do it, but just aren’t sure how or where to start? Here a few simple tips on how to read the Bible with your kids! First, know this; you don’t have to be perfect! You don’t have to know all the answers to do this! My motto is this “do the best you can, when you can!” and that applies here too! Also, if you feel like your kiddo isn’t paying attention or is playing with a toy or is distracted during this, don’t worry! …

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Prayers For Moms

Motherhood is a challenging journey that highlights our desperate need for Jesus. We were never designed to do Motherhood alone, we need help. Holy Help. Written out here, are Prayers for Moms with scriptures to support your heart. You can pray them silently or out loud as you need them. As you take on the monumental task of raising Godly children, let these Prayers For Moms serve as a space of encouragement and hope. A small space for God’s presence and instruction to walk along side you.   Prayers for Moms : GRACE Many areas of motherhood may make us …

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Perhaps you were created such a time as this

This kids and I have been reading the story of Esther this week. It is one of only two books in the Bible named after a female. The other is Ruth. If you’d like to learn more about the books of the bible, head HERE for an easy to follow chart. You’ll also see that Esther is a form of written Biblical history and presented to us as such. The Main Theme If you’re unfamiliar with the story of Esther the overarching message of the book is the truth that God is sovereign in his love and care for his …

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Do You Trust Me?

The other week we had one of our first thunderstorms of the spring. I know so many people love the thunder and rain. The soothing sounds of rain beating outside your window typically helps people to fall asleep and then sleep soundly. Not for my girl, no. My youngest is terrified of thunderstorms. She hears the rain; she sees the flashes of lightning outside the window and her shoulders tense and her eyebrows furrow as she braces herself for the shudder of thunder that’s sure to follow each flash. I was doing my best to soothe and calm her, which …

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Relationships

I had written this last fall after my grandma, my Gigi passed away. It has been a reminder to me that though she may be gone physically, she is still teaching me many lessons. If you’d like to read my tribute to my Gigi, you can find that HERE. My Gig, she was a woman of tenacity and grit no doubt. She didn’t necessarily own extravagant things, and in her lifetime she didn’t necessarily even travel to what one might consider extravagant places. But what she did have, what she did create were extravagant relationships. During this time of pandemic, …

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Fear the Fear

“I’m scared” She whispered to the dark. “I know. I’m here” The dark seemed to whisper back. There is nowhere you can go, there is nowhere you can walk – that He has not already been. If God is for you, who can be against you. I’ve been in this scenario numerous times. Whispering to the dark as I grasp for solid ground in my mind. Fighting what we all fight from time to time – fear. We all struggle with fear on some level or another and it can ebb and flow in seasons. However, at the root of …

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Cultivate

Every year I choose a word to focus on, you can read about the process of how I go about this HERE. However, for 2020 I felt God place not just a word, but two scripture verses and one spiritual practice on my heart. The word I felt God land on my heart was the word cultivate. Typically, I would do a word study, but the Bible doesn’t use the word “cultivate” like we would. Instead, I took the opportunity to look at what God may be asking me to cultivate around, as well as within myself. Scripture Verses + Spiritual …

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In a world that increasingly values numbers; know that never determines your worth.

It’s not a matter of IF you’ll be tempted, it’s more a matter of WHEN. When that happens, how will you respond? In Matthew 4 before Jesus begins his earthly ministry, we see Jesus going out into the desert. It is here that he has fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He is hungry. The tempter (ie Satan, the devil, the evil one) comes to him and tempts him. He says “turn these stones into bread” to that Jesus answers “It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from God.” Jesus, …

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Blooming in God’s Timing

I’ve been saying “no” to a lot of opportunities lately. A lot of really great opportunities. I have also been hearing “no” or “not yet” on a lot as well. That feels hard, it feels like rejection. It feels stagnant in an ever evolving space. But God is reminding me, much like I cannot force open the petals of my peonies to bloom, I cannot force open His plans or His timing for me. ‘Bloom where you’re planted’ is a popular mantra and typically, I’m not one to gravitate towards such things, however, this one, I’m digging into. I’m called …

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Two Questions To Ask When Your Child Is Hurting

Question : When Does Momma Love you? Answer : All the time. Question : Who Loves you the most? Answer: Jesus As our kids get bigger, their hurts get bigger. They become more complex, more emotional. No less real of course, but feels different – bigger. And when your kid hurts, oh my, does it break a momma heart. 2 Here are two Questions to ask your kids when they’re hurting. 1. When does Momma love you? and I make them, I taught them to answer “All the time”. My hope is that this reminds them that when they hurt, …

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Purpose Vs. Identity

There’s a lot of cultural connotations around both what our purpose is as well as what our identity is or should be. As I’ve continued to explore them both from my faith perspective, I’ve come to the conclusion that they very much need to be kept separate. We live in a culture that quite literally tells us we can be anything we want. Anything. I began to ask myself how then is it that I define either my purpose or identity? Or both? I’ve come to the conclusion that purpose is ever changing. Our purpose shifts with time. Sometimes it …

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Rest

Do you trust God enough to rest? I’m not just talking about in this “busy season” either. But, even outside of your busy season – do you trust God enough to rest? God has been showing me these past few months just how important rest is, and really, it’s an act of worship to rest. To press the pause button on “the hustle” and “grind” and trust God enough to take what you can do by your own human efforts and multiply it by His hands. So truly, be honest, what’s your rest life like? Mine hasn’t been the greatest …

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Start Before You’re Ready

“Start before you’re ready” that’s what I had written on a post it note and stuck on my desk before I started blogging. Because if I had waiting until I was ready, I’d never do it. I have heard so much about how people want to do this or that, follow their dreams and do “the thing” but they’re just too afraid, they’re just not sure. I get it, I’ve been there too, but the only way to know, the only way to do it, is to start! Even before you’re ready! The reality is, is that you’re going to …

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Enough?

You. Are. Enough.  But what if you’re not.  We hear that phrase so much these days, and I understand the sentiment behind it, I do. But here is a pretty unpopular truth, we’re not enough. We really nevere will be.  So what about this, what if we’re not enough and that’s just fine! That’s actually more than fine, in fact, it’s great!  Because here’s the deal, you were never asked to be enough and everything. Trying to be saying you are is unrealistic and potentially stifling to The One who is. I know I fall short every day. There is …

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7 Days of praying for your Child

While there are so many areas of our children’s life we could and should be praying for and over, here is a list to get you started. One prayer for each day of the week and over time you can begin to shift and add more specific prayers to the needs of your child. 1.Seek First the Kingdom of God : The first Commandment God gives to His people is to place no other God’s before Him. God asks the same of us today. That we keep Him first in our hearts. I pray these scriptures over my child in hopes …

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