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My Top Ten Engagement Superlatives
Hey, friends! This is a big transition month for me, because my wedding is less than a month away. Today, I want to share a lighthearted post about my engagement experience. Enjoy my top ten superlative moments. #1: Favorite moment of engagement: The North Carolina temperatures were dropping, and I was getting cold, so I suggested we leave the mountain vista we had been enjoying. James said he wanted “just one more picture over there,” and I complied. When we reached the outlook, he started saying all sorts of sweet things and got down on one knee. You can read the full story here. #2: Most hilarious moment of engagement:…
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God Cares for You
The other night, I woke up at 4 am, wide away and overcome with a sense of anxiety. It wasn’t a panic attack, but my heart wasn’t buying my head’s coaxing that everything was fine and to go back to sleep. Finally, I tossed off the covers and retreated to my quiet place. Opening the Psalms, I started reading in the last place I had left off and just prayed that the words would soak into my insecure soul. The enemy was feeding me lies: You’ll never be enough. You’re not doing a good job. A personal story Transparency moment: I’m an easy-going person who finds pleasure in life’s simple…
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Love that Never Forgets
DailyPS.com is committed to providing a positive Paradigm Shift in our culture. When one of their editors asked me to write on the recent New York decision to legalize full-term abortion, I paused and prayed about what to say. So much has already been said, yet this heart-breaking news weighs on my heart. I hope my response is both compassionate and a clear rallying cry to the unborn’s cause. *** Never Forget. Americans rallied around that cry after the atrocities of September 11. In anger, we said that we would not forgive the acts of terror that cost so many lives, and more importantly, we would not forget the individual…
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Thanking God for Closed Doors
When my older brother’s children would stay at my parent’s home, my mom and dad would often close some doors so that my nieces and nephews wouldn’t get into things they shouldn’t. Naturally, their little hands would reach for those doorknobs. There’s something about closed doors that we inherently dislike. The mystery of what’s on the other side tempts us to pry open doors we have no business entering. As a writer, I know my professional life will have its share of rejection letters, but recently, I’ve received nothing but them. Thank you, but our publishing house is changing directions. Thank you, but we’re no longer representing fiction. Thank you,…
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Skiing Life Lesson: Enjoy Going Downhill
Well, friends, I wish I could say my second time skiing began flawlessly, but it actually started with me falling as soon as I left the lift chair. The good news is that after half a day of practice, skiing started to click. I transitioned from mental pep-talk that involved telling myself not to die to actually breathing and whispering, “Enjoy it.” Yes, I’m all about self pep-talks, and I’ve discovered something: When we focus on enjoyment instead of failure, we relish the experience more. In other words, when we focus on fear, it steals our joy. When we focus on simply enjoying the moment, we do just that. True,…
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Where Do You Find Inspiration?
A common question people ask writers is where we find our inspiration. Regardless of your trade or career, you find inspiration for your craft somewhere or from something. However, the source isn’t always remarkable and doesn’t have to be. Today, I’d like to share some places I find inspiration to help encourage you to seek out your own. From Creation The Genesis record of creation repeats the words “And God saw that it was good” multiple times. Although man’s sin corrupted God’s flawless design, we still see the intentional purpose God crafted into His creation. No wonder when I run, hike, or otherwise adventure in this world, I constantly find…
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Theme for 2019: Choose What is Better
Hello, dear friends! Even though we’re a few days into 2019, I still want to wish you a happy New Year. In fact, these “extra days” I’ve taken to consider a theme for this year reflect the theme itself. The Kristen you know is a planner, an organizer, a deadline-driven achiever. The Kristen of 2018 would have made sure she sent out her monthly newsletter on January 1, because that’s what her calendar said she should do. I think the Kristen of 2019 is going to be different. Especially as I prepare for my wedding, I’m realizing there are just some things I can’t control and some things that need…
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Making the Manger Personal
Last September, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy with a colleague, work remotely, and research my next novel. During one of our day-tripping adventures, we visited a place called Civita di Bagnoregio, a place sometimes called “the dying town.” This city rests atop a hill that is slowly eroding, and the place itself is breathtaking. As my friend Maria and I explored the city, I suddenly stopped short. There, to my right, were the remains of a manger. A manger. The scene seemed taken right out of a nativity story set in Bethlehem, and yet here we were in Italy. As I soaked in the moment, a few…
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Medal in What Matters: A Bride-To-Be’s Perspective on “Stuff,” Living Generously, and Holiday Giving
My walk-in guest closet had become a black hole of catch-all, and the time had come to face it. The less “stuff” I have to move after my wedding, the better! Most of the boxes stacked there centered on my childhood, so maybe that’s why I had put off going through them. Don’t ask me why tossing childhood memorabilia is so hard for me, but it just is. As I opened a heavy cardboard box, I found myself facing my high school Bible quizzing trophies. I had worked hard to earn them and been so proud of them! However, they’ve been boxed up for years, and I never plan to…
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4 Ways to Love God with Gusto (Part 2 of 2)
In September, my church hosted a 5K to raise money and awareness for foster care. For those not familiar with running terms, that’s a little over 3 miles. Running didn’t come naturally to me, but now, it’s a lifestyle I’ve learned to enjoy. My fiancé, though athletic, hates running. But to his credit, he ran the race with me, adopted my pace, and even smiled for photos. He got out his comfort zone, and it meant so much to me. Last time, I shared on BigSisterKnows.com how we can love God volitionally, which involves a choice or act of the will. In my case, my fiancé chose to run even…
