Dear Friend,

One JBU reader in Melbourne, Australia, discovered several of our articles online and began sharing them in his church.

Each week, those articles reached hundreds of people within his community. He later wrote to tell us:

“While you are sleeping, you are touching the hearts of 600 to 1,000 Aussies each week.”

Through JBU’s digital content, women from around the world were able to read biblical encouragement that spoke directly to their lives.

That is the beauty of digital ministry. With just a few clicks, one article can cross an ocean, enter a new country, and reach women in homes, churches, and ministries we may never see.

What begins on a screen can continue moving from heart to heart—carrying hope, truth, and the encouragement of Christ around the world.

That is what happens when biblical encouragement is placed in a woman’s hands.

She reads it, shares it, and carries it into her family, church, ministry, and community.

This summer, we want that hope to keep traveling.

As our fiscal year ends on July 31st, Just Between Us is facing a budget deficit of over $20,000. Closing that gap will help us continue creating and sharing trusted biblical resources with women across the street and around the world.

And because of generous friends of JBU, every gift will be doubled through a generous $7,500 matching grant challenge.

Will you help hope travel farther this summer?

DOUBLE MY IMPACT

Your gift today can reach beyond what you may ever see—encouraging one woman who will carry that hope to another.

With heartfelt gratitude,

P.S. A gift of $50 becomes $100, and a gift of $100 becomes $200. Please help us finish the fiscal year strong and continue reaching women around the world.

Dear Friends,

Have you ever wished God’s direction came with a flashing sign?

We want to make wise choices, follow the right path, and say yes to what He is asking of us. But when life feels noisy—when fear, expectations, and distractions crowd our thoughts—it can be difficult to recognize His voice.

Sometimes we pray, open our Bibles, and sincerely seek God, yet still feel unsure about what to do next.

Our founder, Jill Briscoe, described wisdom and discernment as:

How do we recognize God’s voice? How can we remain faithful when the way forward is unclear? And what does it look like to trust Him when we do not have all the answers?

As you read this week, we pray these articles encourage you to keep seeking God and listening for His direction. You may not receive every answer at once, but you can trust that He is faithful to guide His children—one step at a time.

Encouraging you in God’s truth,

Should I Stay or Should I Go? | Lori Ann Wood
Through the lens of her own "boomer" life, Lori Ann Wood discovers that true wisdom isn't always about which direction you choose, rather, it's about remaining rooted in Christ no matter where the road leads. A tender reflection on faithfulness, abiding, and the quiet heroism of staying.

How Do I Discern God's Will? | Lynda Hunter Bjorklund
If you've ever wished for a hotline to heaven, this one's for you. Lynda Hunter Bjorklund walks us through three reliable ways God speaks: through circumstances, the Holy Spirit, and His Word. She says finding His will may be closer than we think.

Becoming a Wise Woman of God | Jill Briscoe
Jill Briscoe reminds us that wisdom isn't reserved for theologians or those with perfect spiritual track records. It's a gift available to every woman who asks — practical, Spirit-given, and desperately needed in a complicated world.

Also:

• For Your Heart

• Bible Verse of the Week

• Prayer of the Week

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Wisdom in Abiding.

By Lori Ann Wood

I don’t know about you, but I have struggled with being confident in my discernment as an adult. Somehow, believing I had wisdom was easier when I was younger. That kind of rootedness is what Scripture calls abiding, and it may be the deepest form of discernment available to us. As a teenager and young adult, decisions seemed more black-and-white. But it turns out, wisdom depends less on our actual decision, and more on how deeply we are rooted in God.

My husband and I were high school sweethearts, both attending the same area-wide rural school for grades 9-12. He returned recently for a class reunion. Many of our classmates still live in that small farming community. Over the years since leaving, forming a family elsewhere, and burying my parents there, I’ve considered what I missed by not staying.

The Choice to Leave

I grew up assuming that the valiant were those who ventured out, who moved into unknown lands, who left the safety of home. But I am learning that perhaps our truest, bravest heroes are the ones who stayed.

Sometimes I still feel guilty that I didn’t stay, or at least that I never seriously considered it. Following grad school, I turned down Dad’s offer to go into business with him in his accounting practice in my small hometown. I raised three of my parents’ grandchildren five hours away. They lived their last decades alone, with no relative closer than a half day’s drive.

How would my life—and theirs—be different if I had stayed?

Read more

By Jill Briscoe

Practical down to earth “life skills” are in much demand today. Wisdom, or God-sense, is a priceless commodity. Have you ever needed to know what to do or say? I’m sure you have! In this crazy world we often find ourselves in human dilemmas that need far more than our small human effort to solve. We need wisdom.

Wisdom in the Everyday

I’m not talking about world-shattering problems, either. Family problems need as much mature diplomacy as do tribal disputes or all-out wars around the planet! For example, have you ever faced a teenager asking if he can go with his friends for a bike ride or a jaunt in a car, to a movie or party, and not known what to say? When our family came to live in the U.S., our children were eleven, nine, and seven. As they roared into their teenage years we were in a very different and, to me, frightening culture. I felt very unsure of myself. I would have known if it was safe in England. What is a mother to do when the kids learn to drive so early here and want to go cruising around town? (They didn’t even have access to a car until they were working in the UK.) I needed wisdom from on high! I needed God-sense. Looking back on the years of winging those “Help Lord, give me wisdom” prayers heavenward, I thank God for protection, correction, and direction. He gave me wisdom well beyond my years and experience. Not that I always got it right – ask my kids!

Read more

By Lynda Hunter Bjorklund

“God spoke to me…” “I felt God direct me…” “God impressed something on my heart…”

When I was editor of Focus on the Family’s Single-Parent Family magazine, I often published articles from writers who used words like these when referring to God’s instructions to them. One day I received a stinging letter from a reader who wrote, “What? Do you all have a 1-800 number to hear directly from God? If you do, please pass it on so I can hear from God too.”

Most of us have felt similar frustrations about not knowing God’s will regarding decisions we face or crises we encounter. We may have felt envious of those who always appear to know what God wants them to do. And maybe we’ve felt disappointed after we’ve asked God’s guidance in a specific area and then not felt that we received it: “Where should I work?” “Whom should I marry?” “When should I make the move?”

Read more

By Lori Ann Wood

I don’t know about you, but I have struggled with being confident in my discernment as an adult. Somehow, believing I had wisdom was easier when I was younger. That kind of rootedness is what Scripture calls abiding, and it may be the deepest form of discernment available to us. As a teenager and young adult, decisions seemed more black-and-white. But it turns out, wisdom depends less on our actual decision, and more on how deeply we are rooted in God.

My husband and I were high school sweethearts, both attending the same area-wide rural school for grades 9-12. He returned recently for a class reunion. Many of our classmates still live in that small farming community. Over the years since leaving, forming a family elsewhere, and burying my parents there, I’ve considered what I missed by not staying.

The Choice to Leave

I grew up assuming that the valiant were those who ventured out, who moved into unknown lands, who left the safety of home. But I am learning that perhaps our truest, bravest heroes are the ones who stayed.

Sometimes I still feel guilty that I didn’t stay, or at least that I never seriously considered it. Following grad school, I turned down Dad’s offer to go into business with him in his accounting practice in my small hometown. I raised three of my parents’ grandchildren five hours away. They lived their last decades alone, with no relative closer than a half day’s drive.

How would my life—and theirs—be different if I had stayed?

Read more

Dear Friend,

As we near our fiscal year-end on July 31st, Just Between Us is facing a $20,844.55 budget deficit.

One reader shared that she had been struggling with bitterness, loneliness, and feeling left behind. Then she found a JBU article that led her to pray for hope. She wrote, “Thank you JBU for encouraging me and helping me climb out of my darkness.”

That is why this ministry matters.

Women are coming to JBU in quiet, tender, weary places—longing for truth, comfort, and the reminder that God has not forgotten them.

And right now, your gift can go twice as far.

A generous supporter has offered a $7,500 matching grant, which means every gift given before July 31st will be doubled until the match is met.

Would you prayerfully consider giving today to help us close this gap and continue placing Christ-centered encouragement in the hands and hearts of women who need it?

Double My Gift Today

With heartfelt gratitude,

P.S. Every gift given before July 31st will be matched dollar for dollar up to $7,500. Your generosity today helps close our $20,844.55 deficit and brings hope to women right when they need it most.

Give today!

Dear Friends,

There’s a reason Psalm 23 has brought comfort to believers for generations. Its words have been prayed in hospital rooms, read at gravesides, and held close during seasons of uncertainty. More than beautiful poetry, this beloved psalm reminds us of the life-giving truth that have a Shepherd who knows us, leads us, and never leaves us.

David word’s don’t suggest that the path will always be easy. There are quiet waters and green pastures, but there are also dark valleys. Through it all, the Shepherd remains near—guiding, providing, protecting, and restoring.

This week as we spend time in Psalm 23 we consider what it means to be cared for by Jesus in every season. Whether life feels peaceful today or you’re walking through something heavy, you are not wandering alone.

Our prayer is that this issue gives you fresh eyes to see the ways your Shepherd is leading you, meeting your needs, and walking beside you right now.

Encouraging you in God’s truth,

Getting to Know Our Good Shepherd Through Psalm 23 | Jen Ludwig
Jen opens up Psalm 23 like a treasure chest, walking us through each verse to show how Jesus leads, comforts, pursues, and protects us as our Good Shepherd. A beautiful invitation to trust Him with every part of your life.

Shepherding to the Valley | Kimberly Garcia
When Kimberly sensed God calling her to become a hospice aide, the barriers seemed impossible. But one by one, God cleared the way. Her story is a living testimony to Psalm 23:1: "The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing."

Finding Calm in an Overloaded Life | Merrie Hansen
Merrie was stretched too thin, stressed out, and holding tightly to her to-do list when God gently led her to a quiet hotel room and Psalm 23. What happened next was nothing short of a soul restoration.

Also:

• For Your Heart

• Bible Verse of the Week

• Prayer of the Week

Getting to Know Our Good Shepherd Through Psalm 23

Trusting the Shepherd Who Never Leaves.

By Jen Ludwig

I don’t know about you, but I am not friends with any shepherds. I know a few people that are involved in agriculture for a living, and I have one friend that I hung out with in my twenties in Los Angeles who now has a cattle ranch in Idaho. (I did not see that one coming.) But nope, no shepherds. Maybe you can relate? Or rather, maybe you can’t relate to the imagery Jesus uses in John 10.

In contrast, as Jesus spoke to the crowds, they knew exactly who He was talking about. Shepherds were commonplace. So, when Jesus says he is the good shepherd, they understand the care and the sacrificial life he spoke of.

To help those of us living in the twenty-first century become familiar with some of the responsibilities of a shepherd, we can look to Psalm 23. This psalm was written by King David. You may recall that David himself was once a herdsman (who used his slingshot to fight Goliath), so he knows how a good shepherd would care for his sheep.

Read more

By Kimberly Garcia

I had a great-paying job, working at a desk, doing things I’d been accustomed to: e-mails, reports, and answering phones. However, I felt a yearning in my heart to do more. I was never one to do a job just to pay the bills. I knew that I needed to work, but if I had to work, I wanted to do something that made a difference. At the end of the day, when I lay my head down on my pillow, I always reflect on what I did to serve others and serve God. My heart was not fulfilled.

I knew I could be doing more. But what? I prayed many times, asking God to show me what He wanted me to do. I have never received a clear answer to a prayer like I did on that random Wednesday morning while sitting at my desk. God called me to work as a hospice aide.

Hearing the Call

At first, I was hesitant. Did I hear Him right? Did I misunderstand Him? There were many barriers to what God was calling me to do. First, becoming a hospice aide meant my pay would be lower. We were already feeling financially strained. Secondly, hospice aides are required to have a home health aide license or a CNA license, and I didn’t have either. Lastly, my car was not reliable enough to be driven around town visiting patients all day. Certainly, I had misunderstood what God was telling me.

When I brought the calling of hospice to my husband, all the barriers were just as obvious to him. We agreed that perhaps this was going to be something I’d do in the future, but now wasn’t the time financially. Still, each day, I continued to feel a spiritual tug to do something more.

Read more

By Merrie Hansen

Do you want calm in an overloaded life? When you are feeling weak and heavy laden, cuddle up with the Father. He is calling, “Come to Me, I will give you rest.”

It was the spring after an extremely difficult winter. The threat of my husband’s job layoff loomed over our heads, leading to his being away more than half the time. Heavy snow on our roof had resulted in “ice damming” and a good deal of damage to our home. We were more than ready for rest. Yet, when an opportunity arose for me to travel with my husband to Pennsylvania for a week, I saw it as an interruption from the “things” that I thought I needed to do.

As a veteran church and community volunteer, I had become an expert at multi-tasking and putting myself into seemingly indispensable situations. I began stating my case: Who would lead the women’s Bible study? How will I get the Easter services arranged, and what about music selection for Sunday services? Who would take care of my cat? How will I get home from the airport? Where will the money come from to pay for the extra-incurred expenses and my flight back?

On top of overextending myself, extreme mood-swings of peri-menopause inflicted an unexplainable mayhem in my life. All together, this spelled s-t-r-e-s-s. I was a woman desperately needing a break.

By God’s mighty strength, He quickly loosened the grip of my hands on my obligations. One-by-one He took away every argument I conjured up, eliminating my excuses.

Read more

By Jen Ludwig

I don’t know about you, but I am not friends with any shepherds. I know a few folks that are involved in agriculture for a living, and I have one friend that I hung out with in my twenties in Los Angeles who now has a cattle ranch in Idaho. (I did not see that one coming.) But nope, no shepherds. Maybe you can relate? Or rather, maybe you can’t relate to the imagery Jesus uses in John 10.

In contrast, as Jesus spoke to the crowds, they knew exactly who He was talking about. Shepherds were commonplace. Those listening to Jesus compare Himself to a good shepherd knew the time, the care, and the sacrificial life of a shepherd.

To help those of us living in the twenty-first century become familiar with some of the responsibilities of a shepherd, we can look to Ps. 23. This psalm was written by King David. You may recall that David himself was once a herdsman (who used his slingshot to fight Goliath), so he knows how a good shepherd would care for his sheep.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Ps. 23)

Read more

Dear Friend,

I’m writing with a tender and urgent need. As our fiscal year comes to a close on July 31st, Just Between Us is facing a budget deficit—and we are asking God to provide what is needed to continue encouraging and equipping women around the world with biblical hope.

A generous friend of the ministry has offered a $7,500 summer matching grant. That means your gift today will be doubled, helping close this gap and reach more women who need the hope of Christ.

Recently, a reader named C.J. called after learning her cancer had returned. She said she printed her recent issue and was reading it with a highlighter! She said she had read it two or three times, taking notes because she “needed every word.” Then she shared, “God used your magazine to lift me from a very dark pit…Your work matters.”

This is why JBU exists—for women who are lonely, hurting, overwhelmed, or longing to be reminded that God has not forgotten them.

Would you prayerfully consider making a gift before July 31st? Your generosity will be doubled up to $7,500 and will help us finish the fiscal year strong.

Double My Gift Today

With heartfelt gratitude,

P.S. Give by July 31st and your gift will be doubled through our $7,500 summer matching grant. Thank you for helping bring hope to women when they need it most.

Dear Friends,

Faith is not one of those one and done type of things. We keep growing closer to God as we deepen our faith throughout our lives, but there are times when the faith we have seems weak. Maybe we’ve got questions. We go through hard times and we feel like our faith isn’t where it should be. That’s often exactly the place God helps us grow.

If you’re unsure of where to begin to deepen your faith, you’ll enjoy this issue. Our writers share their personal insights on developing and maintaining a strong faith. Sandy Mayle says:

We’re walking this with you. We’d love to pray for you. Send your prayer requests to us at: jbu@justbetweenus.org.

Encouraging you in God’s truth,

God's Plan for Spiritual Growth | T. Windahl
What if spiritual disciplines felt less like a checklist and more like a garden? T. Windahl walks us through five beautiful practices; from engaging with God’s Word, prayer, encouraging others, worship, and evangelism. She shows us how each one becomes a grace-filled avenue for growth when we lean into it.

Change Your Mind | Sandy Mayle
Science says our brains can form new pathways. God says we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Sandy Mayle weaves these two truths together into a hopeful, practical framework for trading harmful thought-ruts for the freedom of Christ.

Following God's Voice, Not the Footprints of Others | Serena Menken
A trail with no trail. A maze of towering rock. And a husband who trusted his gut over a crowd's footprints. Serena Menken finds in the wild sandstone of Utah a vivid picture of what it looks like to follow God's countercultural voice, even when others question the path.

Also:

• For Your Heart

• Bible Verse of the Week

• Prayer of the Week

God’s Plan for Spiritual Growth

Five Disciplines That Deepen Your Walk with God.

By T. Windahl

Spiritual practices are an important part of the Christian life. As we incorporate them into our lives, rather than being a burden, these practices become beautiful facets of God’s grace as He uses them to grow us spiritually—both in our relationship with Him and in godliness.

The number of spiritual practices available to us on our Christian journey makes a long list, but I’m reminded of some of the practices I have incorporated into my own life. I’ll share them below using a gardening metaphor to give us a memorable picture of each one of them.

Engaging with God’s Word (Growing Deep Roots)

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2).

Of the many spiritual practices available to us, engaging with God’s Word has transformed my life the most. We can engage with it by hearing it, reading it, meditating on it, studying it, memorizing it, and obeying it. It also became my delight when I engaged with it amidst four cancer diagnoses within ten years (1991–2001). Like the psalmist wrote in Ps. 119:92, I, too, would have perished in my affliction if God’s Word had not been my delight—perished from a lack of the hope, joy, comfort, peace, and more that God gave me through its pages.

Read more

By Serena Menken

“Let me get this straight. You want to go on a trail that isn’t really a trail?” I asked my husband, glancing up from the National Park website with raised eyebrows.

“It’ll be fun!” Peter grinned. For the past year, we’d anticipated this milestone anniversary trip to Utah, eager for kid-free adventures together. “Plus, it won’t be crowded, since you need a permit to get in.”

Reluctantly, I sighed. “Okay, I guess. But you know I have a lousy sense of direction.”

“I’ll be our navigator,” Peter replied, kissing the top of my head.

Lost in the Sandstone Maze

The next morning, after we had watched a mandatory video at the visitor center, the park rangers cautioned that we could easily get lost on the Fiery Furnace Trail. Many hikers missed the smattering of small silver arrows, which appeared infrequently and blended into the rocks. The lack of cell phone service added to hikers’ sense of disorientation.

At first, we glided along sandy paths. As we trekked deeper, we became engulfed in a maze of towering rock walls. We met other hikers clutching their phones, staring at maps. Together, we hunted for the route and failed. Multiple times, we walked in one direction, only to realize that we had made a wrong turn. We snaked through slot canyons, climbed up boulders, and crept along a cliff’s edge. After a while, Peter and I wandered alone. I started to feel anxious that we would be trapped inside this maze for hours.

Read more

By Sandy Mayle

Over a birthday meal at Cheddars with my friend Linda, our wide-ranging conversation turned to the amazing skills some people possess—for instance, pianists who play complex music at mind-numbing speed. How do their fingers fly so far ahead of conscious thought?

“Maybe,” I theorized to Linda, “their minds are just running in the ruts they’ve laid down through repetitive practice, like neurologists tell us happens in our thought life. We dig ruts of thought that in time we mentally gravitate toward.”

It turns out that the piano teachers’ adage, “Practice makes perfect,” has scientific support. Repetition creates what is termed “muscle memory.” Masterclass.com explains, “Performing an action repeatedly . . . creates a new neural pathway between the central nervous system and the muscles you’re moving. Once you’ve established muscle memory, you can accomplish the task without consciously thinking about it.”

Neurologists call this neuroplasticity. Our adaptable brains are rewired as we learn, forming new connections between brain cells. This means we can learn complex skills; it also means our brains can make new pathways around damaged areas—good news in physical therapy, but also good news in spiritual healing from trauma, harmful thought-ruts, and other areas of inner need.

Read more

By T. Windahl

Spiritual practices are an important part of the Christian life. As we incorporate them into our lives, rather than being a burden, these practices become beautiful facets of God’s grace as He uses them to grow us spiritually—both in our relationship with Him and in godliness.

The number of spiritual practices available to us on our Christian journey makes a long list, but I’m reminded of some of the practices I have incorporated into my own life. I’ll share them below using a gardening metaphor to give us a memorable picture of each one of them.

Engaging with God’s Word (Growing Deep Roots)

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).

Of the many spiritual practices available to us, engaging with God’s Word has transformed my life the most. We can engage with it by hearing it, reading it, meditating on it, studying it, memorizing it, and obeying it. It also became my delight when I engaged with it amidst four cancer diagnoses within ten years (1991–2001). Like the psalmist wrote in Ps. 119:92, I, too, would have perished in my affliction if God’s Word had not been my delight—perished from a lack of the hope, joy, comfort, peace, and more that God gave me through its pages.

Read more

Dear Friends,

Have you ever said something and instantly regretted it? Or had a friend or coworker made a quick remark that wounded you? If so, you’re not alone.

Words matter. More than that, God values words. Words are something that can help demonstrate the love of Jesus. But they can also be used to tear someone down.

Life can get so busy that maybe we don’t understand why firing off a quick email to a coworker doesn’t get the response you’d hoped, or how sending a text might land differently than you thought. Jesus always slowed down and spoke with purpose, and this week, our authors are helping us see that it’s valuable for us to do the same.

Encouraging you in God’s truth,

The Perfect Balance of Talking and Listening | Susan A. Vernick
Has the art of real conversation gotten away from us? Susan Vernick offers six practical, Scripture-rooted tips for becoming a better listener and a more thoughtful speaker, because healthy relationships begin with healthy communication.

Affirming Others | Joni Eareckson Tada
Joni Eareckson Tada writes from her own marriage about the transforming power of words spoken with intention. Encouragement, she reminds us, is not flattery. It's choosing to call out the good you see in someone and watching it take root.

The Power of Words | Jill Briscoe
Jill Briscoe reflects on a lifetime of ministry and arrives at one clear conviction: words only carry real power when they're gathered first in the presence of God. This is an invitation to quiet yourself long enough to let Him fill your mouth.

Also:

• For Your Heart

• Bible Verse of the Week

• Prayer of the Week

The Perfect Balance of Talking and Listening

Tips for the Art of Godly Conversation.

By Susan A. Vernick

Could it be that social media has contributed to conversation narcissism? Have we become so programmed to voice our opinions uninterrupted, without questions or pausing, and without face-to-face contact that we forget the art of conversation? Or are some people just not naturally good listeners?

The Word of God had some wonderful instructions about talking and listening. Listening is a refined art we can nurture and develop, especially when hearing God and His “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12, KJV). Communicating, talking, and listening are also practical, important parts of our daily lives.

We all have had this experience and can even recall someone who always monopolizes the entire conversation. We find ourselves scratching our heads as we listen and listen and listen some more. But, just maybe, a little gentle conversation etiquette is all that is needed to help all of us along the path to listening more and talking less.

So, at the risk of monopolizing this conversation, here are some gentle reminders and tips.

Read more

By: Jill Briscoe

“Words…given by one Shepherd” (Eccles. 12:9-11).

The twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes tells us that words are weapons - for good or ill. It says, “Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people.” Apparently it takes work to be wise, and to put your wisdom into words. Words, like the “goads” and “nails” used to prod cattle from a depleted pasture to a green one, are the tools God uses to move people from meaningless-ness to meaningful-ness and from empty-ness to useful-ness. That’s what the writer of this little book did.

Growing up listening to Churchill and Hitler, I had a perfect example of how words can be used for God or for Satan. When one, as the teacher says, gets the words from “one Shepherd” (we know Who that is don’t we!), then they bring life to the hearer and light into a dark world. Words move people to decision. They inspire, rebuke, and instruct.

They will only have power to do this as we spend time with the Shepherd. In fact, unless my words have been in the throne room worshipping, I can forget them impacting the people who listen to them.

Read more

By Susan A. Vernick

Could you use some conversation etiquette?

Could it be that social media has contributed to conversation narcissism? Have we become so programmed to voice our opinions uninterrupted, without questions or pausing, and without face-to-face contact that we forget the art of conversation? Or are some people just not naturally good listeners?

The Word of God had some wonderful instructions about talking and listening. Listening is a refined art we can nurture and develop, especially when hearing God and His “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12, KJV). Communicating, talking, and listening are also practical, important parts of our daily lives.

We all have had this experience and can even recall someone who always monopolizes the entire conversation. We find ourselves scratching our heads as we listen and listen and listen some more. But, just maybe, a little gentle conversation etiquette is all that is needed to help all of us along the path to hearing more and talking less.

So, at the risk of monopolizing this conversation, here are some gentle reminders and tips.

Read more

By Joni Eareckson Tada

Sometimes the Bible asks an awful lot of us. Take Jesus’ words in Matt. 12:36, “I tell you that everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” One day we’ll have to explain our every word! Obviously God places a great deal of importance on what we say—words have a curious power to make living things wither and die, or bring dead things to life. As it says in Prov. 18:21, “The tongue has the power of life and death.”

We women possess such incredible power–all in what we say. It’s something I’ve especially learned being a quadriplegic married to my strong, able-bodied husband. I may not be able to whip up an omelet for him or rub his back, but I can honor and uplift him with words that give life, hope, and encouragement. It’s what I do every day with Ken. I will tell him, “Ken, thank you for going to visit that neighbor who has cancer… that was a thoughtful thing to do.” Or, “Ken, I’m so grateful you’re a man of prayer–God bless you for always taking the lead and inviting people to pray. Good for you!”

Read more

Dear Friend,

Because you're part of the Just Between Us family, I wanted to share an important update with you.

Right now, Just Between Us is facing a budget deficit of $27,965.42.

While summer is often a slower season for giving, the need for biblical encouragement doesn’t slow down. Every day, women come to Just Between Us carrying burdens such as loneliness, grief, anxiety, relationship struggles, and questions about their faith. Many others are looking for biblical encouragement for their every day lives.

Through our articles, devotionals, Bible studies, and digital publications, we have the privilege of meeting them in those moments and pointing them to the hope found in Christ.

One reader recently shared:

“Just Between Us has been a lifeline during one of the hardest seasons of my life. God has used this ministry to remind me that He sees me, loves me, and hasn’t forgotten me.”

Stories like hers are why this ministry exists.

Thanks to a generous supporter, every gift made today will be matched dollar for dollar up to $7,500—doubling the impact of your generosity.

As we work to close this budget gap, would you consider making a gift today? Your generosity helps ensure that women continue to receive trusted, Christ-centered encouragement when they need it most.

Give today!

Thank you for your prayers, support, and partnership in this ministry.

With gratitude,

Ashley Schmidt
Executive Director
Just Between Us

Give today!