I used to feel so overwhelmed by all the Bible study methods out there.
SOAP, inductive, verse mapping, color-coding, commentary deep-dives… whew.
As a busy wife and mom, I just needed something that worked and made sense.
The truth is—there’s no “one size fits all” method. But there is a best method for you, in this season.
Let’s break down a few simple ones:
SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer):
This one’s my favorite for busy mornings. You write the verse out or simply summarize it, observe what it’s saying, journal out applications you feel called to make personally, and respond in prayer. It’s simple but deep.
SPECK (Sin to avoid, Promise to claim, Example to follow, Command to obey, Knowledge about God):
This one is more of an overall observation method to help you pull out wisdom you could potentially miss. This is great when you need a little guidance finding application straight from the text—especially if you struggle to see how the Bible connects to your daily life.
Verse Mapping:
If you like digging into the original language and comparing translations, this one’s for you. There is so much more depth when you realize why an author was using a specific word, or learn what other meaning is behind the word they used. It’s a little more detailed, but super rich if you want to grow in understanding.
Bible Digest Method (a.k.a. Homiletics):
This one’s amazing for bigger passages or teaching others. For clarification, let me state that I believe Scripture prohibits women from preaching to men or having authority over them, so this method is not for the purpose of preparing a typical sermon. However, Titus 2 does command older women to teach the younger and this method could be used to help you better understand what you are going to teach younger women (or children). You summarize the main idea, find key points, and think about how to apply and share it.
I always tell women this: the best Bible study method is the one that helps you actually understand and apply what you read.
It’s not about doing what’s trending—it’s about doing what helps you connect with the Word.
This week, try a new method! I created a little freebie Bible Study Tool Kit (with SOAP and SPECK templates) to help you experiment and find your favorite.
Now that we're well into Spring, and Easter is on the horizon, there's a good chance you're either planning your Resurrection Day celebration dinner with family, your Easter Egg hunts, or you're just trying to stop sneezing and be able to breathe with all the pollen. (Maybe that last one is just me.)
I'd like to invite you to consider something different about this season of Easter.
Easter is all about new beginnings. Jesus didn’t stay in the tomb—He rose to bring new life, a life in eternal glory with Him!
And just like He brought renewal to the world, He is able to bring renewal to our marriages too.
Let’s be real—marriage can feel stale at times.
The daily grind of life, unspoken frustrations, and the busyness of raising kids can take a toll. All of a sudden you realize - marriage feels HARD.
So how can you experience the fresh renewal that Easter represents in your marriage?
First, let’s look at what renewal actually means. It’s not about ignoring issues or pretending things are perfect.
In Romans 12:2, Paul tells us,
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind
How are we transformed? By the renewal of our minds.
This "renewal" means a change of heart or mind. It requires intention (along with the work of the Holy Spirit - we can do nothing without Him).
According to BibleHub.com, "{Renewal} implies a restoration to a former state or an improvement to a new and better condition."
Did you catch that? A restoration to a former state - when you first got married - or an improvement to a NEW and BETTER condition.
Can you imagine your marriage renewed and even better than it was?!
Renewal comes when we invite Jesus into the broken places and allow Him to breathe new life into them.
Just as He overcame death, He can overcome the struggles in our marriages—whether that’s communication breakdowns, unmet expectations, or emotional distance.
This does require intention on your part. While Jesus is capable of miracles that don't involve action on our part, most of the miracles He performed included others taking on certain tasks as well.
One way to seek renewal in your marriage is through forgiveness.
Jesus’ death and resurrection made way for our sins to be forgiven, and He calls you to extend that same grace to your husband.
Holding onto bitterness keeps you stuck, but choosing to forgive—even when it’s hard—opens the door for healing.
To avoid that bitterness from creeping back in, it's imperative that you develop the habit of thinking the BEST of your husband, rather than assuming the worst. For example, when he forgets something, extend the same grace God offers to you, and assume your husband was simply forgetful, rather than neglectful or uncaring.
Another step is intentionally reconnecting.
Plan a date night (even if you're always the one to plan them - that may be a strength you have that he doesn't, so lean into your strength), leave a sweet note, take on a task that he normally completes or you know he dislikes, or simply take a few moments each day to laugh together.
Small efforts can bring a fresh sense of connection. It's usually those daily, small efforts that get forgotten in the daily busy-ness of life, so they're important to intentionally bring back.
And most importantly, pray for your marriage.
Ask God to renew your love, restore joy, and help you both grow together in Him.
Ask your husband what he is currently praying for, or what he would love to have you pray for him. That simple connection alone, knowing that you're in his corner appealing to God on his behalf, can bring so much restoration to your marriage.
Easter reminds us that nothing is too far gone for Jesus to restore.
As we lean into His resurrection power, we can experience a marriage that isn’t just surviving but thriving.
If you'd like to dive deeper into this, be sure to check out the 7-Day Spring Clean Your Marriage challenge! This is a challenge you can begin at any time - and repeat as often as you'd like - to clear out what isn't working, bring back what used to work, and create new habits that will strengthen and fortify your marriage. Click the link below for more information!
We’ve spent this past month of March talking about spring cleaning—decluttering our hearts, our marriages, and even our Bible study routines.
And sweet friend, if you’re anything like me, you may have uncovered some things that you weren’t expecting (or maybe you were, but you were hoping you wouldn't see!).
🧹Maybe as you dug into your marriage, you realized there’s been some lingering resentment you haven’t fully released.
🧹Maybe in your heart, God revealed places where bitterness or pride have taken root.
🧹Maybe in your Bible study, you’ve noticed that your time with the Lord has been more about checking off a box than actually growing in knowledge of and intimacy with Him.
Spring cleaning is important—it makes space for what truly matters.
But here’s the thing: clearing out isn’t the final step. It’s what comes next that really changes things.
After we’ve emptied our hearts of clutter, we need to intentionally fill them with the things of Christ.
That’s what April is all about. Renewal. New life. Walking in the fullness of what God has for us.
Because if we don’t allow God to renew and refresh us, we’ll end up right back where we started—cluttered, overwhelmed, and spiritually stagnant.
So today, let’s talk about how to take the next step. How do we move from just cleaning to truly renewing our hearts, our marriages, and our faith?
1. Renewing Your Heart: Replacing Lies with Truth
One of the biggest barriers to renewal is the lies we believe. Lies like:
❌ I’m not a good enough wife or mom.
❌ My marriage will never change.
❌ I’ll never be consistent in my faith.
❌ I’m not a good enough wife or mom.
❌ My marriage will never change.
❌ I’ll never be consistent in my faith.
These thoughts may feel true, but friend, they are straight from the enemy.
The best way to renew your heart is to replace these lies with God’s truth:
✅ God’s grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
✅ God can restore what is broken (Joel 2:25).
✅ God is working in me to grow and strengthen my faith (Philippians 1:6).
✅ God can restore what is broken (Joel 2:25).
✅ God is working in me to grow and strengthen my faith (Philippians 1:6).
Action Step: Start a “truth journal.” Each morning, write down one lie you’ve been believing and then write the truth from Scripture that replaces it. When you feel yourself slipping back into those old thoughts, go back and read the truth.
2. Renewing Your Marriage: Cultivating Grace and Forgiveness
Spring cleaning your marriage may have brought up some things you didn’t love—old arguments, unresolved hurts, or just the weight of the daily grind pulling you apart instead of together.
Renewal in marriage means learning to release and refill.
Release the offenses you’ve been holding onto. Refill your marriage with grace, kindness, and intentional love.
Ephesians 4:32 says,
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
We cannot move forward in a thriving marriage if we’re still clinging to past offenses.
Action Step: Choose one way to actively bless your husband today, regardless of how you feel. Maybe it’s making his favorite meal, sending a kind text, or simply choosing to let go of something minor that’s been irritating you. Watch how small acts of grace shift the atmosphere in your home.
3. Renewing Your Faith: Moving from Routine to Relationship
Maybe last month you realized that your Bible study has felt dry or more like a duty than a delight.
Renewing your faith means shifting your perspective from “I have to do this” to “I get to do this.”
Psalm 51:10 says,
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
That’s our prayer. That God wouldn’t just clean out the old but that He would renew our spirits so that we hunger for Him more than before.
Action Step: This week, try something new in your quiet time. If you always read devotionals, spend time in just the Word. If you typically just read a chapter (or several), try using a study method like S.O.A.P. or Verse Mapping to breathe new insight into your reading. If you always study alone, invite a friend to study with you. Shake things up and invite God to bring fresh excitement to your time with Him.
Let’s Step into the Newness of Life
Cleaning out is good, but filling up with what is life-giving is better.
So as we step into April, let’s not just leave empty spaces where the clutter used to be. Let’s fill those spaces with truth, grace, and renewed passion for Christ.
Friend, God is always in the business of making things new—including you. Let’s step into this next season expecting Him to work in our hearts, our marriages, and our faith.
I’d love to hear from you—what’s one area of your life where you’re asking God for renewal right now? Drop a comment below and let’s encourage each other!
To make sure you never miss a post, and for MORE weekly encouragement, tips, and truth for your heart, home, and marriage:
Throughout this month, we've talked a lot about spring cleaning: our hearts, our marriages, our quiet time.
But how in the world do you find the time to DO any of that spring cleaning in the first place?
Most women - wives, mothers, and single women alike - often find themselves at the mercy of their calendars and to-do lists - that are often based on other people's priorities.
Our homes aren’t the only things that need a little spring cleaning—our schedules and boundaries do too.
Let me ask you something (and be honest with yourself here): Have you ever felt too busy to spend time with God?
You want to dive into Scripture, you want to pray more intentionally, but life just keeps piling up?
Between marriage, kids, errands, work, and all the little things that need your attention, quiet time with the Lord keeps getting pushed to “later”... except later never seems to come.
If you're too busy for God, you're taking on tasks and responsibilities that He hasn't asked of you.
God Never Asked You to Do It All
Somewhere along the way, we started believing that being a good wife and mom means saying “yes” to everything—every volunteer opportunity, every social event, every late-night task we could’ve asked for help with.
But God never called us to exhaustion. He didn’t design us to be so busy serving everyone else that we have nothing left for Him, for our husbands, or even ourselves.
Jesus Himself had boundaries. He didn’t heal everyone who asked. He stepped away from the crowds to pray.
He rested.
And if the Son of God didn’t try to do it all, why do we? (Tough truth: it's often our pride and need to control that makes us feel like we can and should do it all.)
If your schedule is packed, if you feel stretched thin, if you don’t even know when you last had an unrushed moment with the Lord—it’s time to declutter your commitments.
Spring Clean Your Schedule & Priorities
I want you to take a look at everything on your plate right now. Write it down if you need to. Then ask yourself these questions:
- Did God call me to this, or did guilt, pressure, or people-pleasing put it on my plate?
- Is this bringing my family closer together, or pulling us apart?
- Is this drawing me closer to God, or distracting me from Him?
- Is this an accurate indication of what I say I prioritize, or does it compete with everything I want to prioritize?
- Am I resting and restoring my energy, or am I running on empty?
If your schedule is so full that you don’t have time to pray, to study Scripture, to truly connect with your husband, or to just breathe—something has to change.
Not everything needs to stay on your calendar. Some commitments are good, but may not be God’s best for this season. It’s okay to say no.
Boundaries Aren’t Just for Others—They’re for You, Too
A lot of times when we talk about boundaries, we think about setting limits with other people. And yes, that’s important!
But boundaries aren’t just about saying no to others—they’re also about saying yes to what matters most.
I'm sure you've heard the saying that when you say yes to one thing, you're saying no to something else.
What do you need to say no to so that you can:
- Say yes to daily time with the Lord—even if it’s just 15 minutes before the kids wake up.
- Say yes to date nights with your husband—your marriage needs intentional care.
- Say yes to rest—rest that refuels you, not just mindless scrolling on your phone.
- Say yes to quiet evenings at home instead of overloading your schedule.
When you clear out the clutter and protect what truly matters, you’ll find more peace, more joy, and more of God’s presence in your everyday life.
What Needs to Change?
So here’s my challenge to you, sweet friend: Take some time this week to “spring clean” your boundaries.
Pray over your commitments. Ask God to show you what needs to stay and what needs to go. And then, be bold enough to make the changes He’s calling you to make.
God never asked you to do it all. He just asks you to walk with Him. And trust me—when you clear out the clutter, you’ll have so much more room for His peace, His wisdom, and His joy.
Need a little guidance? Grab your FREE guide, "From Overwhelmed to Aligned: A Simple Worksheet to Free Your Schedule & Focus on What Matters" to help you reflect on your current schedule and make space for what you know God is actually calling you to prioritize right now.
I’d love to hear from you—what’s one boundary you need to reset this season? Let’s chat in the comments! 💛
