Karen Appelman, retired educator, counselor, and lifelong follower of Christ, had a quiet dream: to share Scripture-filled encouragement, her nature photography, and original paintings in one peaceful online home as she prepares to publish her first of many books. Pursuing God’s Love is the beautiful realization of that calling.
Appelman Designs proudly designed and developed this custom WordPress devotional website from the ground up—a soft, inviting digital sanctuary where women can pause, breathe, and grow in their faith every single day.
Built for the Soul & Built to Last
- Tailwind CSS with a gentle, feminine palette
- Full-screen parallax hero images featuring Karen’s breathtaking photography
- Elegant typography with handcrafted script drop-caps and perfectly spaced Scripture and quotes
- Three distinct yet harmonious sections:
- Devotional: “Pursuing God’s Love”: daily Scripture-based meditations
- Photography: “God’s Creation in Photos”: weekly galleries of landscapes, wildlife, and wonder
- Art: “What’s on My Easel?”: Karen’s paintings, complete with the faith story behind each brushstroke
- Custom Gutenberg blocks for unique, reusable layouts that Karen can update herself—no code required
- Full WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility and 90–100% Core Web Vitals scores for fast, inclusive reading on any device
- Built-in comments, Mailchimp newsletter signup, and social sharing to grow her community organically
A Personal Note
Creating this site for my step-mother, Karen, was pure joy. Watching her devotionals, photos, and paintings come alive online—and seeing complete strangers encouraged, touched, and comforted—reminds me why I do this work.
Ready to give your message a home that feels as warm and authentic as you are? Let’s talk.