When my children were small and it was nap time, I would tell them to simply be still. I thought I could trick them into falling asleep. It never worked unless they were strapped into a five-point harness car seat, and we took a late afternoon drive over the causeway, looking into the rays of…
At the risk of losing a couple of subscribers like the last time I wrote on this controversial topic, I’m going to ask for your grace. Now stick with me, this is a short post, and if you are a subscriber and comment, you can win three books that will be perfect for your summer…
In today’s world, everything is about outcomes. We plan and strategize to satisfy a goal or complete a project or retire early. I remember having a goal to have my son potty trained by a certain age. I’d read books and articles on the topic, talked to other parents, and purchased all the right supplies….
What does it mean to be successful? How do you define success? We probably all have similar variations on the answer. But God’s idea of success and ours may be very different, depending on our decision to seek Him first in our lives. One of my favorite chapters of the Bible is Matthew six, and…
Stubborn. Strong-willed. These are not words that seem like positive traits or gifts, especially if they refer to a toddler. I certainly needed to read the book Raising the Strong-Willed Child to understand and learn the best ways to harness that strong will for good. Interestingly, one of my high school Sunday school students said…
Has God ever sent you on a mission that seemed impossible? I don’t mean a mission trip to Africa. I mean a task that seems at first glance to be just a job, just a team, just a school, but when you arrive or join, you realize God put you there for something so much…
At the beginning of the Summer, I planned out goals for each month, and then, life happened. I’ve heard it said that we make plans, and God laughs. What I have finally learned is that I can’t accomplish much work in the month of July. Unfortunately, when I haven’t marked everything off my to-do list,…
One of the best parts of being an author is meeting and getting to know other writers, especially the ones who have written books you really enjoyed. Christina Suzann Nelson and I “met” in a Facebook Group because we were represented by the same literary agent. My book club chose to read her book,…
“Smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors.” African Proverb. I read that on the side of my frozen yogurt cup the other night. And isn’t it true? In this writing world, I have learned this lesson more than anything else. As I often say, if nothing else comes out of my writing journey, my children will…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11 Recently, I have spent a lot of time at the high school Libby will attend next year. The excitement is in the air. I…