- Depression, Discouragement, Faith, Family, Heart, Hope, Hope-filled Fiction, Mental Illness, Non-Fiction Story, Soul, Tragedy
How Can You Offer Hope to the Homeless?
Is it just me, or does it seem that we see more people in need this time of year? People are poor and homeless all year long, but in the winter months, their needs are more prevalent … or maybe we’re just…
When Depression Robs Your Gratitude
Sometimes circumstances in our lives can be so difficult we find it hard to celebrate holidays with joy. With Thanksgiving approaching this week, my mind drifted to one of those periods for me twelve years ago. We were going through a…
How Can a Shoebox Offer Hope to a Hurting Child?
Each year during October and November, our church takes part in filling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. This year, our small church of about 120 people, filled 63 boxes! If you don’t know what Operation Christmas Child is, take a…
Hope Changes Everything
To believe that hope changes everything, we must first understand what hope is. Merriam-Webster defines it this way. To cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true: to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment. Many…
Will You Take a Risk to Follow Your Dream?
Our daughter-in-law and twenty-one-month old granddaughter, Harper, came over for dinner last night. I cooked a roast, potatoes, green beans, and bread, thrilled to offer Harper a good meal. Normally when she’s here, it’s on a weekend and I have…
Spiritual Lessons From a Spin Class
After two weeks in Dallas and New Mexico, then another five days at the Mountainside Novelist Retreat, I continued to shove physical exercise to the back burner to play catch up on my work, home, and writing projects. This morning…
Do You Need Encouragement Today?
This week I’m in Black Mountain, NC at the Mountainside Novelist Retreat. The beauty of the mountains surrounds Ridgecrest Conference Center, and the beauty of the Christian writing community has surrounded me. Along with large group sessions over the three…
Are You Disappointed With God?
Last weekend my church celebrated our twenty-year anniversary by hosting a free community carnival. We’d planned the event for months and spent thousands of dollars on sending 15,000 mailers inviting our neighbors to attend not only the event, but a…
Are You Connected to the Vine?
Last weekend I was blessed to attend a conference for women’s ministry leaders hosted by the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia. The theme for the event was “Connect,” and the focal passage was John 15:5. “I am the vine, you are…
A Visit to the Spiritual Dentist
I have a love/hate relationship with my dentist. How about you? I love leaving his office every six months with clean, smooth teeth, but the process to receive the desired outcome … not so much. And don’t get me started on fillings…
