I remember the moment with perfect clarity. My room was a hopeless mess, but one great thing about talking to people on the phone... Wait. I need to correct that. The only great thing about talking to people on the phone is that you can put the phone on speaker (if yours has that capability, Continue Reading
Devotional
What’s the Best Thing I Did for My Spiritual Life in 2018?
The words burned into my laptop screen. Five minutes later, I couldn’t tell you if they were crazy or if I was, although I suspected it was the latter. Some things one does not investigate. But seriously, read the whole Bible in 90 days? Why? How on earth would anyone get anything out of it Continue Reading
The Unexpected Blessings of Being Fired by My Mentor
The spiral phone cord tangled together as I listened to her. “People just go out in public without any thought to what they’re wearing. This morning a girl had on a half top and shorty shorts. I muttered, ‘Someone forgot to finish getting dressed’ as I walked past.” I snickered. Her tone of Continue Reading
3 Important Reasons Christians Need to “Retreat”
"I’ll miss chat this week. DH (internet-speak for “dear hubby”) and I are going on a retreat with our church.” I know I wasn’t the only one who winced at the word “retreat.” Some because they knew the flurry of responses that would follow. Others because we’d been drilled about how evil it was for Continue Reading
Have I Ever Mentioned How Much I Hate Cancer?
The old-style letter came disguised as an email. But despite the digital delivery, the contents could have been handwritten with a fountain pen or dip quill. The subject, simple. Thank you for your books. I get a lot of emails—dozens, often hundreds—every day. The quick answers I usually zip Continue Reading
What I Did When Praying Failed Me
Um… so… um…” The dead silences mocked me. Why could I pray just fine and dandy when someone asked me to pray for them or with them, but just an intimate time with the Lord turned my usual chatterbox self into a tongue-tied moron? Yeah. I still don’t know the answer to that. But I do remember Continue Reading
Counting Grains of Sand: a book review
When I received the invitation to review Counting Grains of Sand by Natasha Metzler, I wasn't quite sure what to think. I've never read anything by her, I usually stick to fiction on my blog, and really, what do I know about infertility? I'm glad I listened to what I think was the prompting of Continue Reading
Devotional: God’s Got This
If you look at the date on this devotional, you'll see that I REALLY didn't want to forget the day of the month! But this devotional really blessed me that night. I sat there at Denny's, still wincing at the horrible, ugly things being said in the wake of the elections and reread this passage. Not Continue Reading
Devotional: Letters from God?
This devotional has kind of a funny story. When I went to The Barn for my writing retreat this October, I had agreed to do a devotional with the ladies there. We take turns doing it. Well, I'd intended on sharing one of the ones I've already shared here. It was easy, done, and appropriate to the Continue Reading
Run with Endurance the Race Set before YOU
Run. Running. Race. The words make me wince. There's a reason for that. I was thinking about it today while I walked at a brisk pace along the treadmill at the gym--and everyone else ran. Then this post came to mind, and I decided to resurrect it from my old blog. Let’s start with my Continue Reading
Lessons on the Armor of God: A Devotional
So the other night, Luke was studying the Word, trying to see how he, as a husband, needed to "live in an understanding way" with a miserable, pregnant wife. But things took an unexpected turn, and this happened. So what does the armor of God have to do with being a good husband? Continue Reading
Taking Thoughts Captive = Spiritual Warfare?
I was writing in Ante Up! last month and looked up the reference for "taking every thought captive..." Can I just say, whoa? I always think of that Scripture in light of fixing my mind on Jesus. Not letting my thoughts run away with me. Not lying to myself. Controlling where my thoughts go and Continue Reading