Crystal McDowell

Articles by Crystal McDowell

Crystal McDowell and her husband of 22 years raise their five children in the Midwest. She writes, speaks, and teaches with a passion to encourage women with Biblical truths. As a freelance writer for over 12 years, Crystal has written numerous Christian curricula for Sunday School and VBS as well as many articles dealing with marriage, motherhood, and relationships. She gives weekly words of encouragement on her blog: Crystal McDowell Speaks

Crystal has written 132 articles on What Christians Want To Know! Read them in the archive below.

If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. Thanks for stopping by!

How to Teach Teens the Value of Hard Work

It’s not so difficult to teach teenagers the value of hard work as it is to get them to understand and value it. We live in a culture of ease and all of us are more accustomed to getting everything more quickly with less effort. Yet this happens for every generation—it’s the ebb and flow […]

Read the full article →

How to Seek God’s Approval Instead of the Approval of Others

by Crystal McDowell

Some people are born with super-thick skin and have the innate ability to resist seeking the approval of others. Yet there are those of us who’ve struggled with people-pleasing most of our lives. We sometimes forget the most important stamp of approval comes from God. How do we begin to seek God’s approval before all […]

Read the full article →

How to Overcome Feeling Regret and Shame From Past Mistakes

by Crystal McDowell

It’s possible to come into salvation accepting Christ’s forgiveness and still struggle with regret from past mistakes. Many believers have difficulty moving forward in their Christian faith because of shame. However, just because we may feel a certain way doesn’t mean that God is holding us hostage to our past. It’s time for us to […]

Read the full article →

What Does the Bible Say About Crying and Tears?

by Crystal McDowell

Crying comes easy for some people. They cry when they are happy or sad. While some of us only cry when we are deeply moved. We are created with the ability to cry not only as an expression for our emotions, but also as an opportunity to release pent up feelings. Sometimes people who struggle […]

Read the full article →

5 Women I Admire from the Bible

by Crystal McDowell

Women played a significant role throughout the Bible. Their influences, decisions, and relationships (or lack thereof) with God had a tremendous impact that still affects the world today. Eve eating the fruit in the Garden of Eden, Sarah convincing her husband, Abraham, to sleep with her slave, and Mary responding to Gabriel’s proclamation of Jesus’ […]

Read the full article →

10 Popular Bible Verses to Study Today

by Crystal McDowell

The Bible is full of popular verses that are familiar to many Christians and non-Christians alike. Sometimes the problem with popularity is that people rarely tend to look intensely at the verses—rather choosing to quote them randomly without really knowing their meaning. The following 10 popular Bible verse are an awesome start to a great […]

Read the full article →

5 Ways To Cope When You’re Not Feeling Appreciated

by Crystal McDowell

Many of us have times when we don’t feel appreciated for our work or service. There’s a great temptation to allow bitterness to well up in our hearts and eventually we lash out at the unsuspecting around us. This is especially true for those closest to us: a spouse, children, friends, co-workers, or a boss. […]

Read the full article →

How to Set Healthy Boundaries in Relationships

by Crystal McDowell

It was over 15 years ago when I first read Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend’s breakthrough book, Boundaries. It was one of the most significant milestones of my life and to this day continues to help me navigate through relationships with other people. Before I read that book, I was constantly bound with […]

Read the full article →

7 Tips For Making Decisions In Times of Difficulty

by Crystal McDowell

All of us have to make tough decisions at some point. We don’t want either extremes of passivity (hoping it will all just go away in time) or impetuosity (rushing impulsively regardless of the ramifications). There must be balance and careful consideration into where God is leading you. The following 7 tips will assist you […]

Read the full article →

How to Say “No” Without Shame, Regret, or Guilt

by Crystal McDowell

Is it bad to say “no” to legitimate requests? Are Christians always to agree to put themselves in bad situations so that we appear as giving, loving, or patient? What if someone asks us to do something but we don’t really feel right about it? I believe that many times we find ourselves wanting to […]

Read the full article →