Thanksgiving is an important part of the Christian life. It is the capstone to a life of prayer. The apostle Paul instructed the church in Philippi regarding prayer: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6, NASB). Carrying from Europe the tradition of a day of thanksgiving after a successful harvest, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God for the bounty of the harvest after a year of sickness and hunger. The native Wampanoag tribe also had a tradition of giving thanks to the Creator…
Category: Encouragement
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For fourteen years our home in Florida allowed me to escape the bitter Midwest winters. But due to a health crisis, my husband and I are now back in the Midwest, bracing ourselves for some bitter temps. When I look out my kitchen window, I no longer see palm trees standing tall against a clear blue sky. I see a blanket of white on the ground and pine needles laced with snow crystals. I no longer see lizards scurrying across the backyard patio. Instead, I see squirrels gathering nuts for the long months ahead. My environment has changed dramatically,…
Who Hates Conflict?
I hate conflict. I hate getting into disagreements with my husband. I don’t like having a spat with a friend. As a parent, I hated the constant conflict resolution that was needed when my two kids didn’t get along. As a teacher, I sure didn’t enjoy being the one who had to break up the many tiffs between pubescent girls. And as a Grandma? Well, let’s just say that conflict’s not in the grandma cards. So when I began writing fiction, I knew that conflict is a main ingredient to a good story. To write good, compelling fiction, I…
Praise His Name
Negative attitudes have a way of creeping up on all of us at times. Good advice for turning them around is keeping a gratitude journal—a list of the things you’re thankful for each day. When we put our focus on the positive aspects of our lives, the impact of the negatives begins to shrink. Psalm 100 can be viewed as a prescription for keeping a gratitude journal about God—for learning to thank Him and praise Him for who He is and what He does. Coming before God to worship with thanksgiving and praise is easy when we’re keenly aware…
Safe Where I Belong
As I played with my two-year-old grandson in the backyard, a noise caught his attention, and he turned toward the street. “Get back here,” I called. “You are naughty and going immediately into time out for the rest of your life. Now, think about what you’ve done, and how you will fix it!” Are you scandalized by my response? Understandable. But how often do we think God responds to our choices and messes in this angry fashion? Of course, I didn’t speak those soul-wounding words. I came alongside as he toddled in an unsafe direction. “Hey, buddy. Let’s go…
Making the Right Commitment
Commitment can be a good thing…when we’re committed to the right thing. But how often do we make a decision without fully weighing the cost? How often do we say “yes,” when we want to say “no”? I’ve been guilty of it myself. When I sat down to write my latest novel, Deadly Commitment, I wanted to write about how we sometimes make decisions without thinking them through. Maybe it’s a monetary commitment. Or a spur-of-the-moment decision to leave our job or drop out of school. It could even be the decision to marry the wrong person. We may…
Fulfill God’s Calling on Your Life
Recently, I was bummed out by some in the church who seemed to imply writing fiction is not a holy calling. They as much as said that if we aren’t engaged in outright evangelism, then we aren’t fulfilling the Great Commission. I did some soul-searching. Told God, “I quit. I’m done (writing).” He immediately began sending me encouragement, reminding me that I write because He called me to it, and it is no less legitimate a calling than my call as a wife, mother, or friend. But a reader’s note to me the very next day capped it and…
Pray, Eat, Live
In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 1 Samuel 1:10 (NIV) Hannah wept as she prayed for her heart’s desire to be a mom and to give birth to a son. Her fervent prayer was heart-felt, honest, tenacious, and bold—generated by a deep longing. In her anguish, she poured out her soul to the LORD (1 Samuel 1:15). Prior to talking with the LORD all Hannah could do was to cry. She was hurting, unable to eat, consumed with the desire to bear a child (1Samuel 1:8, 18). But, after she spoke her concerns to God, her…
Untethered
Therefore, do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil (Romans 14:16). Upon my recent retirement from a demanding leadership position, I found myself nearly paralyzed with fear. So many “I never thought I’d…” statements danced chaotically through my mind, robbing me of peace. Unbidden, my long-since-settled divorce reared its ugly head, reminding me of all of the losses I’ve incurred. My ideal picture of retirement had always included a husband, a family, and grandbabies. The real picture of my solitary leap into the golden years stood in sharp contrast before me, filling…
The Hands of Jesus
What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (TLB) People need hope more than advice. What a freedom to know that it is never necessary to have our life all in order before helping another. God does not expect us to be experts but He does call us to come alongside each other. All human beings have two things in common. We all experience pain and we all need a…
