Having trouble living in the moment and being present? This blog is for you! Our guests today on the Everyday Faith Podcast are Kendra Roehl & Julie Fisk from the One Story Well Collective, who create books, devotionals, and online content to inspire women and help them experience God’s love, redemption, and hope. Through their stories, you’ll rediscover the goodness of God, the wonder of knowing Him, and how to live each moment fully present to God.
Going From Christian Homes to Choosing Christ
Kendra’s story of finding God began at a young age, as she was raised in a Christian home and always had a sense that God was real. The pivotal moment for her on her faith journey was when she and a few other couples started a church plant. This moment helped stretch Kendra’s faith and helped her to be dependent on God, rather than herself. In the midst of discipleship, spiritual growth, and practicing the ways of Jesus, there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that marked Kendra and her family in a profound way.
Julie’s story is similar, but different. She grew up in a nominally Christian home where faith was a part of the discussion, but faith wasn’t everything. As she got older, she went through a period of wrestling with God. She discovered the Lord’s patience and His faithful pursuit of her heart throughout these years. Now, her faith in Jesus is thriving, but Julie is incredibly grateful for the season of wrestling and the times of asking God the hard questions.
One of our four pillars at the Everyday Faith podcast is to start with belief. As you do so, you can embrace your mission, commit to obedience, and pursue community in your walk with Christ.
If you haven’t accepted Jesus into your heart yet, today is your day! Start with belief by heading to our page on salvation and receive Jesus as Lord today: This is For You!
Starting the One Story Well Collective
In 2012, Julie, Kendra, and their friend Kristin started the One Story Well Collective. The idea for their collective was inspired by God after they attended a Women’s Conference. They left with this unshakeable feeling that God had something for them to write. Neither Julie nor Kendra had a background in writing, as they were a social worker and an attorney. However, they knew they were storytellers at heart and that God was inviting them to write.
Their first project was a piece called The Ruth Experience, which is based on the story of Ruth and Naomi from the Bible. The goal of the One Story Collective is to help people pursue faith in their everyday lives, making the intangible tangible and spiritual disciplines more practical.
To purchase books, devotionals, and more, head to the One Story Well Collective for more information.
Raising Kids in the Way of Jesus
When Julie and Kendra aren't writing stories and devotionals, they're either working or spending time with their families. Julie and her husband, Aaron, live in Central Minnesota with two kids and two dogs. Kendra is married to her husband Kyle, and they have five children, three of whom they adopted through the foster care system. During our interview, Julie and Kendra shared some great ideas on how to help you live in the moment and raise your kids in the ways of Jesus.
1. Practice What You Preach: One way Kendra and Julie have brought their families into a place of staying present and following Jesus is by practicing intentionality each day. To do this, they stop and point out needs they are seeing in their community, and then, they choose to be intentional by meeting these needs as a family. Later, they explain why they did what they did and open the Bible to teach their children about things that Jesus taught. By practicing what Jesus preached, their children are learning how to care for the poor and love their enemies.
2. Teach Jesus’ Compassion: As Kendra and Julie have taught their kids Bible stories and verses about following the narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14), they’ve discovered that Jesus’ compassion is an essential skill to teach their kids. As their children have developed a relationship with God, they are able to love others better and grow in the compassion of Jesus. Just as Jesus taught in the Bible, Kendra and Julie are teaching their children to love the Lord their God with all their heart and then to love their neighbor as themselves (Matthew 22:37-39).
3. Create a Family Giving Fund: A fun idea to help your kids grow in the ways of Jesus is to talk to them about money and the importance of giving. For example, Julie and her husband have implemented a family giving fund that is separate from their personal finances. Each month, a piece of their paychecks goes into this account. That way, when they see a need, they can teach their kids how to give and practically meet people's needs. Generosity and sacrificial giving are a normal part of their family and they encourage you to live in the moment by staying ready to give to those around you.
Do you find yourself struggling with money? God has a way out. Read our blog: 10 Bible Verses for When You’re Under Financial Stress
Embrace Your Mission by Adventuring with God
Another way to grow in living in the moment and stay present is with a principle we call: Embracing Your Mission. When you embrace your mission, you choose to follow Jesus wherever He leads, even if that means your day might get interrupted! One way you can do this is by adventuring with God and staying available to be redirected from your to-do list. During our interview, Julie shared with us that these times of adventuring with God are some of the most transformative and most fun moments she’s ever had.
Hear some of Julie & Kendra’s story about how they’ve embraced their mission through writing, creativity, parenting, and adventuring with God by listening to part one of our interview with them on the Everyday Faith Podcast.
Bible Stories About Living in the Moment & Following Jesus’ Leadership
Throughout the scriptures, there are Bible stories about living in the moment and following the leadership of Jesus. You can embrace your mission by committing to obedience, adventuring with God, and staying fully present to Jesus’ voice throughout your day. Here are some of our favorite Bible verses about living in the moment to increase your fellowship with Jesus and help you share your faith.
"Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34
This Bible verse about living in the moment is a direct quote from Jesus. In this passage about staying present, Jesus was talking to His disciples and a large crowd that was gathered to hear Him speak. This passage of scripture is called the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). You may have heard of it! Famous sayings like, "Treat others the way you want to be treated," find their roots in the Sermon on the Mount. However, in this Bible verse about living in the moment, Jesus is tell us not to worry about tomorrow. It’s hard to follow Jesus when you’re worried about tomorrow, next week, or even the next year! Choosing to focus on Jesus and see the people in front of you is a great way to live in the moment and stay available for adventures with Jesus.
Learn more about the fruit that comes from living in the moment: Discover the Power of Seeing the Person in Front of You
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. - Matthew 19:13-15
In this Bible verse about living in the moment, Jesus is taking time to bless the children in Judea. His disciples rebuke him, but Jesus corrects His disciples and takes intentional time out of His busy schedule to bless the children. As you’re learning to live in the moment and stay fully present to God, being interruptible is a way to stay available to God. Who knows who God might have you bless, encourage, or share your faith with!
Related Post: 7 Questions to Help You Share Your Faith
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. - Psalm 118:24
Bible verses about living in the moment remind us to honor God, trust God, and thank God for today. This scripture about living in the moment comes from the Psalms, a collection of poems and sayings that have been sung for generations.
You can listen to a modern version of this portion of Psalm 118 being sung here: This is the Day That the Lord Has Made
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. - Philippians 4:6
Bible verses about living in the moment are often scriptures that teach us not to worry. Through prayer, we can learn the art of not being anxious. Because we can tell God anything, by prayer, petition, or thanksgiving, we know that He is always listening and always interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25). Bible verses about living in the moment remind us to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Learn more about trusting God and growing in the place of prayer: How to Trust God When Life Isn’t Going Well
Conclusion
As we’ve discovered through Kendra and Julie’s stories and Bible verses about living in the moment, it’s clear that life with God is an ongoing adventure that requires us to stay present to Him. As you grow in trust, surrender, and faith in the Lord, you’ll also grow in joy, prayer, and grace to follow Jesus in the smallest details and the everyday moments. Whether you’re parenting, creating, serving, or just learning to pause and surrender to God, Jesus is right there with you, always cheering you on!
Julie and Kendra offered our audience a challenge to grow in living in the moment. The challenge is simple, ask the Lord, “ Who can I do something kind for today?” This act of kindness can be as simple as a text, a phone call, or even pushing your cart back into its proper place in front of the grocery store. Make the choice today to be on high alert for God, rather than fear, and stay present to Jesus and His leadership.
Do you have a story of how God showed up through this challenge to live in the moment? We want to hear about it! Tell us your story by emailing: info@askaboutmyfaith.com or messaging us on Instagram @askaboutmyfaith.
