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Website Warming Party: Scavenger Hunt & Giveaway!
I’m so excited to welcome you to our new website here at KristenHogrefeParnell.com. You may have noticed the site received a facelift over the holidays, and I’m glad to officially welcome the new year with a new website, designed with you in mind. For fun, let’s do a scavenger hunt with a giveaway prize to help you get acquainted with the new site! Just fill out a short survey to be entered in a drawing. I’m giving away one paperback copy of William Danforth’s book, I Dare You.* I Dare You is a short classic that challenges and inspires us to be our best in every area of life. Just…
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Theme for 2021: No Fear
Some people do new year’s resolutions, but for the last several years, I’ve prayed about a theme for the new year. Several ideas came to mind, but this one has kept coming back to me: No Fear. In 2020, fear seemed to wrack our country and the world because of a pandemic. Although some wishfully hope that a new year will flip a switch and begin a clean page, troubles will more than like stick with us. After all, we live in a fallen world, broken by sin. What we can control is our response to problems, and that’s where this theme comes in. I John 4:18 says: There is…
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Little Is Much When the Lord Is in It
My very first Christmas choir solo included these lyrics: “Little is much when the Lord is in it.” I was a shy, insecure thirteen-year-old, but I took such comfort in these words. Today, they still encourage me whether I’m wondering what difference my writing can make or whether my students actually take the time to read my comments and feedback to help them improve. Maybe you’ve felt the same way. When we’re tempted to despair at how “little” we have to give, let’s remember a minor character in a major Bible story. Show Up for Service Instead of worrying about outcomes, we should instead focus on showing up for service.…
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How to Give and Get Gifts that Delight
For those of you who already finished your Christmas shopping, I congratulate you. For the rest, I feel you. How do we choose gifts that delight the people we love so much? The other day, I was brainstorming presents for my nieces and nephews. As an author and avid reader, I went straight to researching what books would be good fits for them, because a love of reading runs in the family. Who’s their favorite author? Do they have a special series? Those are the questions I started asking . And guess what? They were excited to tell me! I now have a detailed list of Nancy Drew books my…
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Why Should Christians Take Care of Their Temple?
We’re all looking forward to Thanksgiving this week. More than ever, this year has taught us to value time with the people we love, and I cannot wait to catch up with some family I haven’t seen since before pandemic craziness started. Plus, I’m excited for an excuse to make James’ mom’s sweet potato casserole again! Speaking of sweet potato casserole, this week is also famous (or infamous) for people overeating. There can be too much of a good thing if it disables us from being ready for God’s use. I’m so thankful for my friend Susan Neal who agreed to share her wisdom on this topic. Susan is an…
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Worry Checkup: How the Right Focus Can Beat Your Fears
I was eleven-years-old when I came home with my first pair of glasses. For months, I refused to wear them. I hated that clunky nineties-styled frame! I remember praying that God would give me perfect vision like my brother. Clearly, that didn’t happen. And grown-up me is okay with that, because I know that my disabilities don’t limit God. However, even as an adult, I sometimes focus too hard on my situation that I lose sight of the unshakable God I serve. The blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby penned the words to “Blessed Assurance” back in 1873 , and through them, she reveals a clearer vision than we often have.…
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How to Invite Contentment in Unfinished Conditions
Since buying our home in March, we’ve been renovating the place, and I’ve shared parts of our kitchen remodel story with you here on the blog. Through this process, I’ve discovered that unfinished things awaken my old enemy of perfectionism, disguised as “the next-thing” syndrome. It tries to steal the beauty of progress by running a to-do-list of unfinished tasks through my mind. Wanting to get ahead and take ownership are positive traits, but there is a gray area where this “next-thing” mentality becomes a problem. It can encourage a subtle spirit of discontent and restlessness that distracts from “the main thing” that matters more. Let’s go to God’s Word…
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Ruth Offers Wisdom in Handling Unknowns
The year of unknowns would be an accurate tagline for 2020. Which of us hasn’t experienced something completely unexpected this year? Today’s guest post by writer and teacher Marlene Houk offers biblical wisdom for handling the unknowns in our lives. I trust this post will be an encouragement to you! Post by Marlene Houk Lysa TerKeurst relates to unknowns in her book1, “When we need to know something, as a Christian, it makes us turn to God. We are willing to follow God even though we don’t know what we’re doing” (Terkeurst, 2018). Does the unknown affect us? Building that first house? Learning the intricacies of a new job? Caring…
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Writing with Purpose: An Interview with The Correspondent Evelyn
Some conversations leave you feeling energized, like you just finished chatting with a best friend over coffee and are now ready to continue all the tasks at hand. That’s how my interview at The Correspondent podcast with Evelyn Corral felt. I would love for you to take a listen to this episode. Whether you’re a writer or pursuing some other calling, you’ll be encouraged to persevere and embrace new beginnings, no matter how small. Some of my favorite takeaways from our chat include the following: Appreciate closed doors since they might be blessings in disguise. Remember we have to start somewhere, no matter how small. Be faithful to your calling.…
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If I Can Cook with Cast Iron, You Can Too.
Did you or your kids ever watch “The Little Engine that Could” where the train puffed and puffed and told himself, “I think I can, I think I can”? Yes, I did too. While I’m all for positive vibes, I also believe in giving ourselves and others grace for making mistakes. As an online English teacher, I often tell my students, “It’s okay to make mistakes,” and “Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try at all.” The truth is, there have been many days I needed to give myself that same freedom to make mistakes and learn from them, especially when in the kitchen. Cooking as a…
