Create Space

10/07/2021

05/03/2021

💛 SALE ALERT! 💛

All studies are now Buy One, Get One!

Grab a study for you and a friend or give one to a Grad or Mom.

Hurry - offer ends soon! Discount is shown at checkout at comecreatespace.com.

01/26/2021

Quick Bible study tip for those of you who left 2020 feeling easily distracted and unsure how to approach time in the Bible...

Copy down portions of Scripture by hand in a blank notebook!

Pick a section of Scripture. It can be a favorite chapter (Psalm 23?) or a short New Testament book (think James or Ephesians).

Now grab a blank notebook and get to copying! Use the pages that fall to the right of the binding to write exactly what the Bible says. Use the pages that fall to the left of the binding to write your own words: prayers, questions, and observations.

Some days, write one verse. Other days, write one page. Every day, keep showing up. Filling our minds with God's Truth is one of the most important things we can do.

01/19/2021

I sometimes have a selfish impulse inside of me that holds me back. I reserve relational energy because I know I'm going to get exhausted not far past what my family needs from me. I hold back from being as generous as I could be out of a fear of scarcity.

But with Jesus, there is enough. If His Spirit is living inside of us, then we cannot help but overflow. So I'm trying to embrace this idea of abundance. I try to picture myself as a cup, into which Jesus is pouring so constantly that I cannot help but spill goodness everywhere.

If Jesus wants me to give my full attention to the person in front of me, then He surely gives me the capacity to do that. If Jesus calls me to be generous with my time or money, He certainly equips me with the means I need for that calling. I have plenty to give. It's all just a part of the overflow.

"And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." John 1:15-25

from Rachel

01/12/2021

A note from Rachel & Vanessa: We’ve been quiet here at Create Space for a long time now. At first, everyone was baking banana bread and taking long nature walks with God during the shut down, and it felt like “space” had thoroughly been “created.” (Ha!) And anyway, Vanessa was busy having a baby and Rachel (like Vanessa) was homeschooling and working from home.

But as this bizarre new season of pandemic and national unrest escalated, we’ve felt our own unrest. We’ve missed you. We’ve missed reminding you to love God and love others, and to make room in your life for every action and deep breath Jesus has for you.

And so, we’re back-ish. Not every day. Expect us a couple of days a week for now. In an era when every day is unprecedented, we’re modest with any promises about what the future looks like. (Except, we do promise photo of Vanessa’s baby Luke soon.)

The bottom line is this... for all that has changed in the past year, these things remain the same: we desperately need the God who loves us, and we need each other. Let’s be about both.

07/27/2020

The world is loud and turned upside down right now. And a lot of us feel stripped of what we once had, buried in a new way of life even. If this year has left you feeling empty or searching for joy - these words are for you. Because here's the thing about feeling empty - it brings us to our knees where God is so real and so present it's literally breathtaking.

When we are empty, begging for Jesus to save us, He doesn't walk, He runs.

More in our latest blog post - https://www.comecreatespace.com/articles-1/godissettingyouright

04/13/2020

We know a lot of you are at home with kids & teens right now, and we’ve been thinking of ways for you to get resources online that you can easily print at home. So we’ve adapted our popular ACCEPTED Teen study into a black and white, ready to print PDF. Just sign up at the link below, and we will email you a PDF of the study for free! We hope this helps you and your loved ones stay close to Jesus through these times!

Sign up here - https://www.comecreatespace.com/accepted-print-out

04/01/2020

I recently read that mental health will be the most important thing we teach our children during this homeschool season, with the effects much more far reaching than the math and English we will cover.

And the biggest lesson I can hand down right now is it‘s ok for sadness and joy to live in the same place. This is complicated, and the variety of feelings we’ll experience can be just as perplexing.

It doesn’t mean it’s wrong. It doesn’t mean we should shove those feelings down. It doesn’t mean we will all handle this the same way.

It means we live in a place where our heart is pulled between lament and light. We grieve the loss of what was supposed to be while also living in the hope of what’s to come.

Sometimes we cry and laugh in one sentence.

And the most healthy thing I can think to do is let the feelings be what they are and let them move through us. Ache for our neighbors and this world just like God aches for us. Praise God for the joyful moments we are still experiencing everyday.

I might cry about the temporary hardships. But in the same moment, I’ll smile and sing because our God is one of hope and healing.

03/25/2020

There's this warning in the Bible (Duet. 6:10-12) before God's people go from wandering into the desert to instead begin enjoying the riches of living settled in the Promised Land. To paraphrase, the warning said: When God gives you nice houses, financial peace, and comforts all around, be very careful that you do don't forget God.

On normal days, we live in great comfort -- the kind of comfort that should cause us to pause and say, "Am I forgetting God?"

Right now, our comforts are being shaken. Instead of letting these inconveniences and worries upset us, maybe we can see them as an invitation: Remember God.

When homeschooling your child while working from home is hard: remember God.

When your simultaneously lonely for the outside world while craving a moment to yourself as children hang off of you: remember God.

When you worry about future finances and health: remember God.

If we believe connection with God is the greatest gift we could ever have, then let this quarantine create good in our life. Let it cause us to remember Him.

03/18/2020

If you’re like us, you’ve been busy readjusting schedules and working on providing some normalcy in your home. These are strange days but always hopeful ones friends. As we build out these new schedules, this could be the perfect time to work on or even strengthen the habit of quiet time, creating much needed space for prayer.

Let prayer absorb any time spent on worry. Let the presence of God overtake anxiety. Now is the time to give our prayer life our all. Lean in to Him. Jesus is the stability we crave in this world of uncertainty.

03/12/2020

The stormy seas of fear and chaos might appear to rule our world right now, but make no mistake: there is a loving God whose voice has absolutely authority over even the wildest ocean. His voice changes everything. Let’s make an effort to hear Him.

03/09/2020

Last Friday, we spent some time with our toes in the sand and praying for God to lead us where He wants us to go.

Our days can be riddled with hiccups, deadlines, and nonstop responsibilities (some important, some not so much) overtaking our opportunity to see the work God has laid out right before us.

Our hope for you (and us!) is to not only see what God is up to everyday but DARE to BELIEVE it.

Get your hopes up. Be ready for the unreal. And be brave enough to dare to believe in the dreams that God is giving you!