If you’ve visited my cyber home for very long, you know many of my posts center around love and encouragement. Why? Well—I’m glad you asked. Love and encouragement are near and dear to my heart for a couple reasons. We live with enough negativity in this old world. Folks are starved for joy. I’ve experienced adversity. Perhaps, you have, too. That’s why you need some good, old-fashioned …
Provision (Trusting God When It’s Hard)
When I was a little girl growing up in the foothills of the Missouri Ozarks, I thought I was the richest kid on earth. In that day the gulf between class distinctions didn’t span as far and wide as it does now. It was a gentler time—a sweet, brief season of decorum and sensitivity mingled with understated regard for those …
As Christian Writers, How Do We Share Our Light?
For writers there’s a different sense of vulnerability than what there might be in other professions. We inject bits and pieces of our own soul into our prose. We strive for transparency without being too forthright. Novelists must relate to readers in clear, concise ways that denote professionalism, not detachment. We want to connect and not overwhelm. Obviously, we have to be …
Miracle in a Dry Season (Book Review)
Welcome! I’m delighted you’re here! Today you’re in for a special treat as I talk about one of my favorite books from a rising star in Christian fiction. Chances are you’ve heard about Miracle in a Dry Season by the charming and talented Sarah Loudin Thomas. Let me just say—this is one of the finest debuts I’ve read from …
Hope: 20 Reasons to Throw Open Your Windows
“You’re going to lose your colon. You might as well get used to the idea.” There were no preliminaries. No handshake, no niceties. Not even a polite introduction. The pediatric gastroenterologist barely glanced at our fourteen-year-old son before flipping through his medical file. “Medications aren’t working. Treatments aren’t helping. You’re one sick kid and you’re out of options.” With military-like …
Sometimes You Need a Breather. Fresh Air HERE.
For many this is a difficult week. Religious freedom threatened. Violence abroad and at home. Health crises. The loss of loved ones. Heartache. Hopelessness. Indecision. Human frailties thrust to the forefront—open and exposed. The list goes on. Sometimes, it’s all just too much. Sometimes, you simply need a breather—a dose of fresh air to revive your senses. Something to remind …
Need Encouraged? Read this! (This One’s for You!)
Well, it was an interesting week. (Yes. That sublime word—interesting.) We’ll get to the encouraging part of this post in a moment. We cat-sat for our educator son while he attended a technology seminar in the great state of Florida. You know… Learning. Hard Rock Cafe. Cocoa Beach. Tough job, but someone had to do it. Henry, our son’s beloved, …
Bent But Not Broken: Why You WILL Do This Thing
In life there are a few scenarios that will inevitably play out. We’ll meet with success. We’ll have a few stumbles. We’ll keep going even when common sense tells us to quit. We may even bend, but we will not break—at least not completely. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in brokenness. In fact, God’s word gives specific examples of …
Hope in the Hard Stuff
“Does it seem more real now?” My eyes lingered on the teacher’s desk. “Sometimes. Other times, I can hardly believe it.” Our son’s hand glided across the row of hardbacks, scooting a few wayward titles back into a neat, organized row. How was it possible that he was still so young, and yet a lifetime had passed? The student, now …
“Easy” is Fun, but It’s The Hard Things That Deliver
I had the opportunity to visit our educator son’s classroom this week. The experience was surreal. Where there was once a little boy, now stood a man. A survivor. The teacher. Our son. Because of spring break, the school where he teaches wasn’t in session so halls were silent and desks were empty. Still… I envisioned young minds as they …