Joyful Life | Marnie Hammar

Joyful Life Magazine

The Joyful Life Magazine posts inspiring devotions on Instagram (@joyfullifemagazine) and encouraging essays on their blog written by a team of gifted writers I admire and adore. I am deeply honored to be on the Blog Contributor Team and the Devotion Writer Team, and have linked those writings here.

Marnie Hammar

May 6

Lessons from the Shepherd About the Rod and Staff

All those years in church, all those sermons on Psalm 23, and I still never got it.⁠ ⁠ Somewhere along the way, when I read, “Your rod...

Marnie Hammar

Apr 5

The Ministry of Too Many Fish

Jesus knew how to make a scene, didn’t He?⁠ ⁠ He’s sitting in Peter’s boat, just finished with teaching a crowd on the beach, when He...

Marnie Hammar

Feb 22

For Those Days When Faith Feels Naive

There are days when my faith feels naive. Days when the tragedy and darkness of this world feel more real than my citizenship in His...

Marnie Hammar

Jan 16

Chasing Winter's Sun

In winter, I play a little game in my house. It’s a secret game—one that I didn’t even know I played until recently. It’s called: “Wander...

Marnie Hammar

Dec 22, 2020

The Weary World Rejoices

My rush to pull out the ornaments and set up the tree and string the lights isn’t actually rooted in holiday cheer this year. The allure...

Marnie Hammar

Dec 10, 2020

God's Answers in My "Why's"

I was on my knees again over one of those confusing, painful situations that just hasn’t resolved. I was asking God, again, why He had...

Marnie Hammar

Nov 17, 2020

The "Happy Jesus" Guy in the Chicago Loop

My first fancy job required a daily train ride into downtown Chicago. On Fridays, as I joined the throng emerging from the train station,...

Marnie Hammar

Nov 9, 2020

Learning Resolve from Fallen Leaves

My footsteps cracked acorns as I came up the hill. The morning light highlighted the greens and reds and golds ahead of me.⁠ ⁠ I delight...

Marnie Hammar

Oct 20, 2020

The Way Out of My Mess

I used to hate the question, “Have you prayed about it?” Because when people would ask me that, most likely, I hadn’t. I loved Jesus, but...

Marnie Hammar

Oct 2, 2020

On Needing an Untamed God

I used to want a “tame” version of God. My love for checkboxes and predictability and control was drawn to the parts of God that I could...