How a Wedding Anniversary Led to Adoption
Janet DeCastillia and her husband, Jeff, are dear friends of mine from church and faithfully follow God’s leading in their lives. I know you’ll be blessed as Janet shares this week’s story about how God called them to advocate for…
- 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…
Why Does That Child Behave so Poorly?
Last week, I attended a seminar entitled “They Need to Know That You Care, Before They Care What You Know!” The focus was on the impact of trauma on children. What is trauma? According to childwelfare.gov, trauma is an emotional response…
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…
Are You Flying By the Seat of Your Pants?
Since I’ve entered the writing world this past year, I’ve learned several new terms, three of which include pantser, plotter, and planster. Pantser means to “fly by the seat of your pants,” with no clue where the story is going…
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…
