I’ve always been a lover of the underdog. Social class holds no bearing. I cheer for the less fortunate. I’d rather encourage than cast aspersions. I believe my tendency to root for society’s “forgotten” influenced my decision to enter a helping profession many years ago. Seeing the invisible without regard to who they were, where they’d come from, or where others …
Five Reasons I’m Glad I Started a Newsletter
Last March I decided to do something out of sheer frustration. I started a newsletter. You may remember I blogged about newsletters and additional reasons for starting my own, but the brief version is I grew tired of other mediums limiting (controlling) my visibility. Consider Facebook, for instance. Of my followers, only a very small fraction of people actually see …
Where Will You Throw Your Stone?
When I first heard of Frank Gifford’s death, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed. The news of his passing came through a friend’s link. I have to admit, I really didn’t know much about this man—the New York Giants football/broadcaster legend—though, of course, I knew who he was. While I was growing up, my father often spoke about Gifford …
Ditch Doubt, Define Your Destiny
As a child, I knew I was different. When I was about seven, my second grade teacher confirmed it. (“It” not being tangible in terms of a label per se, but more a stark realization than anything else.) Mrs. K spoke with deliberate, adult-like precision and put it into perspective for my little girl brain. Her words transcended my finite knowledge of a …
The Word We Overuse, How We Do It, and Why I’m Stopping
The thing about love is it’s just so unpredictable. We toss the word around casually, as if the word itself gives credence to the emotion. The biblical definition (1st Corinthians 13) is watered down to resemble a pitiful interpretation of what God intended. We’ve made the word commonplace. A sham. A poor substitute for lack of a more accurate descriptor. For example: I love Junior …
A Visit with Editorial Director, Chad R. Allen
Photo Credit via Chad R. Allen I’m delighted today to have Chad Allen as my guest. Chad is the Editorial Director of Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. He and his family make their home in the great state of Michigan. You may remember 13 Ways to Write with Urgency, a fabulous guest post Chad did for Rachelle Gardner …
When “Unique” Is a Good Thing
I knew a girl in college who had a flair for the dramatic. She had long, flowing tresses and dark, expressive eyes. She often wore flowery peasant blouses teamed with ruffled skirts, multiple gold bangles, and twin hoops in each ear. She also ate a lot of garlic (touting its myriad health benefits), and she was an accomplished artist. Rarely, was …
Put Down Your Drumstick and Let's Talk Turkey: Encouragement for Writers
Do you find that there are certain times of the year when you feel more productive? Do you ever feel like George Bailey did in It’s a Wonderful Life–that you could lasso the moon given half the chance? I think, for me, those times are probably the summer months. There are a lot more distractions (outdoor activities, weekend commitments, traveling, …
Put Down Your Drumstick and Let’s Talk Turkey: Encouragement for Writers
Do you find that there are certain times of the year when you feel more productive? Do you ever feel like George Bailey did in It’s a Wonderful Life–that you could lasso the moon given half the chance? I think, for me, those times are probably the summer months. There are a lot more distractions (outdoor activities, weekend commitments, traveling, …
Ministering to the Hurting
My eyes scanned the newspaper headlines in a hurry yesterday. As usual, most of it was bad news. Economic decline, crime sprees, overseas discord, and on and on. As I flipped through the first few pages, my eyes fell on a smallish, black and white photo tucked neatly away on page 8a. The photograph left me transfixed. In it, the child’s head seemed twice …
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