-
Encouragement for the Unseen Mother
Last Mother’s Day was not easy for me. I had suffered an early miscarriage in March, and when May rolled around, the loss remained raw. Still, my husband and I went to church, and I tried not to cry through the songs. Many churches give away a little gift to mothers, and ours was no exception. Volunteers handed out hundreds, if not thousands, of carnations as we exited the service. I wasn’t going to take one. I had no baby in my belly or child clinging to my hand. A volunteer handed me one anyway. “I’m not a mother–” I faltered. I was, really, but I didn’t want to explain.…
-
Theme for 2022: Believe for It
Happy New Year, friends! I am thankful for new beginnings and a new 365 days. Each year, I like to share a theme that God is laying on my heart. As I thought about a theme for 2022, I wanted to build off last year’s theme of “no fear” with a hopeful perspective. Truth is, last year gave us all plenty to be fearful about, and I struggled with fear more than once. My prayer for 2022 is that I will believe God for everything that concerns me. For one, my next novel is set to release this December, and I am believing God that He will use this story…
-
The Secret to Anticipating Christmas
Back in August, my husband caught me humming, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Although James loves Christmas, he’s more of a put-the-tree-up-after-Thanksgiving guy. His brows arched. “Are you humming what I think you’re humming?” I held up my hands and grinned. “That’s what you get for having a wife who sings in the choir.” He had the song stuck in his head a day later. You’re welcome. My fellow musicians understand that Christmas practice begins about the time Hobby Lobby puts up its holiday décor—or way too early for most people. For vocalists and crafters, though, we need this time to prepare, to anticipate the season that’s coming. But…
-
Encouragement in the Back-Stage Seasons of Life
If you’ve ever been part of a drama or Christmas production, you know that more work takes place off stage than on. I’m not discrediting the performance, but this is just a reality. Life is the same way. Although social media showcases the success stories, it doesn’t reflect all the behind-the-scenes work that made that moment possible. As a result, we can fall into the trap of believing we’re running on a hamster-wheel, and everyone else has “arrived.” Right now, I’m in a back-stage season. My next book doesn’t release until December of 2022. But I promise, I’m hard at work, though I have little to show. Progress is happening,…
-
3 Taste Tests to Cultivate Your Love for God
Have you ever lost your sense of taste? I recently recovered from Covid but have yet to regain my sense of taste and smell. On the bright side, none of my natural remedies bother me. I can drink ginger tea without grimacing, and oregano doesn’t make me blink. On the downside, everything tastes bland. My favorite tea has been reduced to the flavor of hot water, and my morning coffee can offer only a creamy texture and warmth on my tongue. The flavors are gone for now, and I think I’ll savor them even more when they return. Other “tastes” I don’t have to wait to savor. Scripture offers three…
-
How to Run with God’s Plan for Your Life
I’m honored to be Tina Yeager’s guest on her Flourish-Meant podcast in an episode we called “Running with God’s Plan.” During our conversation, I share my tangible running journey that serves as an analogy for the personal and spiritual challenge to trust God’s plan when we may not understand it. Some highlights from our discussion include: A challenge to give God our loyalty and trust regardless of life’s struggles A reminder that God’s way is always better but not always easy The importance of going into the opportunities God presents to us with open hands Strategies for dealing with disappointments and readjusting our expectations A healthy perspective for approaching both…
-
The Power of the Christian Fiction Genre
Recently, I had the chance to sit down with podcaster Dan Steuer for an episode on Finish Last. What a fun and important conversation we had about Christian fiction and its potential to reach people for Jesus! In this episode, we chat about: My journey to becoming a Christian fiction writer Authors who have inspired me Why Christian fiction can be a powerful vehicle for presenting truth How my dystopian trilogy is relevant for modern times Ways that Christian fiction can glorify God How we can serve God with our diverse gifts You’ll even learn some fun facts about me, such as my favorite kind of pizza and how long…
-
Finding Perspective on the Benches of Beech Mountain
Last month, James and I traveled to Beech Mountain, because two of our friends held their destination wedding there. This was my first visit back since dislocating my shoulder in March, and I felt incredibly grateful for how far I’ve come in the healing process since then. Still, I knew my limitations. One of our favorite hiking trails involves some climbing, and on this trip, the path was muddy and slippery. I encouraged James to hike anyway while I opted to read on the shores of Lake Coffey, a lovely fishing lake surrounded by a boardwalk. Benches dotted almost every angle of this lake, and I chose one to spend…
-
Encouragement in the Waiting Rooms of Life
By nature, I’m not a patient person. You can just ask my husband. If the world operated in Kristen time, there would be immediate results to all our efforts, quick answers to prayer, and a tidy answer for every question. As convenient as Kristen time would be, I’m grudgingly grateful the world doesn’t work on my schedule. If it did, I would have no need to lean into prayer more, depend on Jesus, search His Word for guidance, and stretch my faith. I truly believe those are all reasons God chooses to make us wait and that He does so for our good. Back in January, I listened to an…
-
Sorrow and Love: Finding God’s Presence in Our Pain
About once a decade, Easter or Resurrection Sunday falls on my birthday. This year is one of those times, and last month brought me closer to Jesus’ wounded side through some painful experiences. I’ll share just one of them here for now. What began as a beautiful ski trip to Beech Mountain ended in the emergency room. On day two, I crashed on the slopes and dislocated my shoulder. The pain was brutal. Although I hope you’ve never dislocated your shoulder, you more than likely have your own pain you could share. Pain takes many forms whether physical or emotional, and the two often interconnect. What I learned from last…
