https://www.toriharrison.com/blog/ Christian encouragement, faith and honest stories from author Tori Harrison. en-us https://www.toriharrison.com/post/are-you-presenting-yourself-first-or-the-lord-first/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/are-you-presenting-yourself-first-or-the-lord-first/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT Jesus had nothing in His appearance to draw us to Him. Tori Harrison asks whether we lead with our image and performance or with the Lord. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/god-gives-us-laughter/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/god-gives-us-laughter/ Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT Holiness and laughter belong together. A reminder from Psalm 30 that God turns mourning into dancing and that joy has a place in the Christian walk. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/the-humble-leaders-we-should-become/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/the-humble-leaders-we-should-become/ Thu, 08 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT What makes a humble yet confident leader? Reflections on Matthew 23, the Pharisees, and leading with the lowliness Jesus modeled. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/a-word-for-the-warfare/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/a-word-for-the-warfare/ Thu, 03 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT For anyone facing heavy spiritual warfare, sleepless nights or sudden anxiety: how to recognize the enemy's tactics and stand firm in God's peace. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/worship-changes-us/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/worship-changes-us/ Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT In 1 Samuel, worship gave Saul a new heart. A short reflection on how God moves through worship and transforms the people who offer it. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/easing-into-2025-with-rest/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/easing-into-2025-with-rest/ Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT Starting a new year by asking God what He wants it to be. Tori shares how the Lord is calling her to rest, just not in the way she expected. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/pride-destroys-opportunity/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/pride-destroys-opportunity/ Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT Pride can quietly keep us from God's best and get in the way of obeying the Holy Spirit. How to catch it, using Philippians 2:3–4 as a guide. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/if-the-world-feels-like-a-lot-right-now-read-this/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/if-the-world-feels-like-a-lot-right-now-read-this/ Thu, 26 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT For empaths and anyone in survival mode: how to keep your head above water with the Lord as your strength, and where hope, joy and peace come from. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/humble-lowly-like-jesus/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/humble-lowly-like-jesus/ Tue, 13 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT Jesus was humble, and He was also lowly. What "lowly" really means, and why Matthew 11:29 invites us to take that same posture. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/stir-up-your-faith/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/stir-up-your-faith/ Mon, 29 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT Faith is how we access God, and real faith takes action. What 1 Peter 1, Ephesians 2 and James 2 teach about living out what you believe. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/are-you-teachable-within-the-family-of-believers/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/are-you-teachable-within-the-family-of-believers/ Thu, 27 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT Have we lost the art of discipleship? A look at humility, correction, and how to discern who to learn from within the church. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/embracing-slow-living/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/embracing-slow-living/ Wed, 29 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT After becoming a mom, Tori realized how hurried her life was. How she chose to slow down, notice small beauties and find rest throughout the day. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/the-seeds-that-get-choked-out/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/the-seeds-that-get-choked-out/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT The parable of the sower in Mark 4 hits differently on a reread. What chokes out God's word in our lives, and how to stay good soil. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/turn-on-the-flashlight/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/turn-on-the-flashlight/ Mon, 19 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT In a tough season, the good can be hard to see. A simple way of thinking to reclaim gratitude and find God's goodness when life feels dark. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/get-uncomfortable-this-year/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/get-uncomfortable-this-year/ Tue, 09 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT Did last year leave you stagnant? Why followers of Jesus are called to keep growing, and practical ways to stretch your faith this year. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/how-we-can-pray-for-israel-right-now/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/how-we-can-pray-for-israel-right-now/ Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT A scripture-led guide to praying for Israel during war, drawing on Micah 6 and the parallels Tori noticed while reading her Bible. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/where-is-your-hope/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/where-is-your-hope/ Mon, 28 Aug 2023 12:00:00 GMT We're at our happiest just before a vacation because we're hopeful. What if we lived with that hope every day? Verses on pressing forward in faith. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/you-have-always-been-known-seen/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/you-have-always-been-known-seen/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 12:00:00 GMT If you've wondered whether God really sees you, meditate on Psalm 139. He knew you before you were born and has watched over every moment. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/what-s-your-calling/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/what-s-your-calling/ Thu, 04 May 2023 12:00:00 GMT Feel like you lack a purpose? Every believer has a calling, and it's bigger than finding the right career. How to discover yours with Jesus. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/gracing-ourselves-the-people-in-our-lives-with-space-to-change/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/gracing-ourselves-the-people-in-our-lives-with-space-to-change/ Wed, 05 Apr 2023 12:00:00 GMT "People don't change" doesn't hold up in Christ. How 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Romans 12:2 call us to give ourselves and others grace to grow. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/he-takes-us-from-glory-to-glory/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/he-takes-us-from-glory-to-glory/ Fri, 24 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT Walking with God can feel wearisome, but He rewards faithfulness. Lessons from Israel's wilderness years about trials and the rest that follows. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/postpartum-isn-t-taboo-so-let-s-talk-about-it/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/postpartum-isn-t-taboo-so-let-s-talk-about-it/ Thu, 12 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT Tori opens up about a traumatic birth and the postpartum season no one prepared her for, so other mothers know they aren't alone. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/what-are-you-cultivating/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/what-are-you-cultivating/ Thu, 22 Dec 2022 12:00:00 GMT Our time, money and relationships are all cultivating something. What it means to store up treasure in heaven instead of on earth. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/but-is-it-beneficial/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/but-is-it-beneficial/ Tue, 29 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT A new mom's honest look at how we spend our time and whether our everyday habits build what matters, starting with one question: is it beneficial? https://www.toriharrison.com/post/mindful-r-e-s-t/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/mindful-r-e-s-t/ Mon, 31 Oct 2022 12:00:00 GMT A bonfire under the stars and a lesson in true rest: the unshakeable peace of walking with God daily, instead of rest only after burnout. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/the-opposite-of-anxiety-is-praise/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/the-opposite-of-anxiety-is-praise/ Sat, 29 Oct 2022 12:00:00 GMT Anxiety and depression rose sharply during the pandemic. Why praise is the antidote to anxiety, and how to practice it day to day. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/finding-god-in-the-midst-of-our-wilderness/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/finding-god-in-the-midst-of-our-wilderness/ Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:00:00 GMT What it means to be in the wilderness, and why our lowest moments are often where God meets us most. Lessons from eleven years of following Jesus. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/a-loving-chat-about-the-repercussions-of-bad-ministry/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/a-loving-chat-about-the-repercussions-of-bad-ministry/ Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:00:00 GMT An honest, gracious look at unhealthy ministry: what Tori experienced, the signs she noticed, and the harm it can cause in people's faith. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/underneath-the-beauty/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/underneath-the-beauty/ Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT Where does your definition of beauty come from? Moving your identity away from appearance and toward what God says makes us beautiful. https://www.toriharrison.com/post/tangible-ways-to-show-love-in-a-world-that-makes-it-hard/ https://www.toriharrison.com/post/tangible-ways-to-show-love-in-a-world-that-makes-it-hard/ Sat, 11 Jun 2022 12:00:00 GMT Loving people is hard, especially now. Practical, everyday ways to show Christ's love in a season of isolation, anxiety and hard news.