Without depriving my children of sustenance, I often find practical ways for them to experience how blessed their lives are. Truth is, I need this as much as them, especially when my circumstances are less than desirable. So when the Covid-19 Quarantines started, perhaps going to my parents’ beach house for a week didn’t send…
Do you ever wonder what God is up to? Why am I in this circumstance? Can this struggle really work for good? I read recently that no one ever complains that God is working too quickly in their lives. Honestly, I spend a lot of time in prayer, asking God to move…
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…
It’s that time of year again, the Hallmark Channel is showing back-to-back Holiday movies with those so predictable final kisses, more often than not under mistletoe or gently falling snowflakes. Don’t you love them? I can’t get enough. I love a Happily Ever After. I’ve read books and seen movies with sad endings. I’ve even…
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,…
The Wind and the Waves Over the Fourth of July Holiday, I woke up to a radiant sunrise. I enjoyed my breakfast on the porch of my parents’ beach house as beams of light shot through the vanishing clouds, creating a sheen on the smooth ocean. It appeared to be a perfect opportunity to take…
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…