Balance
Simplifying Your Mealtime Routine (So You Can Write)
I’m sure your calendar this month is jam-packed. Even though I’ve tried to cull much of the clutter from our schedule, December still leaves me feeling like my head is barely above water. But I’ve at last found a way to get my mealtime routine under control, and I wanted to pass this tip along…
How Did We Get Here?
It’s the question we all dance around. The one we sometimes want to ask but don’t. The one we dread being asked. The one we know the person’s dying to ask us when we tell them why our spouse doesn’t share our faith. “Did you know he wasn’t a Christian when you married him?” (I…
Leftovers, Anyone?
A while ago, at Starbucks, I sat chatting with several ACFW Central Zone members, including authors Deb Raney and Kim Vogel Sawyer. I lamented the regrettable fact that published novels aren’t allowed the same courtesies as DVD’s. Seriously, at the end of a fantastic book, wouldn’t you love a few sneak peeks behind scenes, or…
The Devil and the Angel
I screwed up again. And amazingly, I felt entitled to. (Insert yucky “ew” sound here, please.) So here’s how it played out. Months ago I agreed to let go of our cleaning service, because we had to cut costs. Now if you’re a busy mom (If? Yeah, I heard that snicker.), sometimes that can be…
I Can’t Fix This
Women are Fixers. We are always kissing boo-boos, resolving arguments, combing out tangles, and feeding our hungry little people. We run forgotten lunches up to school, and help glue things onto posterboard for projects that should have been started much sooner than the night before it was due. We know how to smooth over hurt…
The Marks of Marriage
Time again, I run across some interesting patterns in marriage. Just recently I spoke to a woman whose marriage suddenly ended after 14 years to her surprise. My heart broke for her and my alert bells went off as I found another piece to the pattern. I’m not an expert, but I put my observations…
What All Guys Want
Recently, a simple question started a great conversation with my husband on a long drive one afternoon. I was preparing to share with my Bible Study Group on the topic of building a foundation of peace in your marriage. My thoughts had turned to Prov. 31:11: “…the heart of her husband safely trusts her.” In…
Breath of Home
Ever hear of the two frogs drowning in a bucket of cream? One frog, seeing his friend was ready to give up, encouraged him to keep kicking. Ever the optimist, this frog hoped that eventually, the cream would turn to butter. When it did, they’d hop out. But in the meantime…a whole lotta kicking was…
Piece by Piece
Usually when I write a post, I find a picture after the fact to suit what I’ve written. But this time the picture came first. I love this image because it speaks of how we give away pieces of our heart, how we can walk around with gaps and holes (sometimes literally!) in our hearts,…
Out of Order
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. I Corinthians 14:33 A few years ago, if someone had asked me for a word that meant the opposite of disorder, I doubt peace would have come to mind. I definitely had a grasp on the meaning of disorder. I was living in the…