“It’s a beautiful day,” I said. “Go outside and play.” I was met with grumbles and “I don’t want to.” I shrugged and grabbed a big blanket and my e-reader. It’s been a long couple of weeks for me and rest has been on short supply. Laying in the warm sun for a little while … More My Gravitational Pull
Do you ever get to the end of the day, exhausted and yet feeling like you have no real sense of what you accomplished? Knowing that you took care of the necessities, or at least tried to, and yet something about your day holds no weight? No fulfillment. Maybe those days have multiplied into weeks…months…dare … More 5 Ways to Care for A Weary Soul
Some of you have followed my writing journey for quite a while. One thing I haven’t discussed on the blog is what happened between being in the thick of submitting my work and signing my book contract. My journey to publication has been a bit of a winding road. It took some unexpected detours along … More How I Got A Book Deal on the Book I’d Given Up On
I’ve been in a weird place lately. Trying to find a new normal amid a pandemic and social distancing. I’ve found in these strange times that I’ve had an incredibly hard time reading anything (and I dearly love to read). Novels, social media posts, the Brit Lit essays and assignments I’ve been grading–no matter what … More When Reading the Bible Feels Too Hard
I don’t know about you, but many times I roll out of bed in the morning, and I don’t feel like a new creation, but an old one. … More I AM RENEWED
I almost titled this post “The Tail of A Trashcan Salamander.” See what silly punniness I (almost) stopped myself from indulging in ;). One unusually quiet fall morning, I sipped my coffee, cherishing the few minutes of quiet between my husband leaving for work and my hungry-bird kiddos waking to demand to be fed the … More The Tale of A Trashcan Salamander: Don’t Let Your Circumstances Define You
So I did something scary today. I went on Facebook Live… That woke up my fear of public speaking in a big way :/. Yikes that was stress-inducing… Anyways……. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am a goal driven creature. I have this way of turning even the most relaxing activities … More Setting Grace Goals: I Can’t Out-“do” Grace
I woke up the other morning with an odd thought buzzing in my mind. Thank God for the no’s and not yets. What?? It wasn’t as though I had just come through to the other side and gotten a glorious yes on my writing journey and was reflecting the beautiful tapestry created along the way. … More Thankful for No’s and Not Yets
When I look at this photograph my grandmother took, I can’t help but wonder at it. The graceful petunia, often seen spilling out of containers boxes and hanging planters, growing in such an unexpected place. And it’s not simply that some wayward seed landed in this crack and sprouted. It’s the way this plant has … More What Does it Really Mean to Thrive?
While playing in the yard with my kids a few days ago, I spotted a carpenter bee buzzing on the ground. Unable to fly, the little thing wasn’t long for this world. I promptly forgot him. Carpenter bees aren’t known for their endearing qualities, so it wasn’t as though he would be missed among the … More Little Bee Girl: Loving the One Nobody Wants
Writing wise, it was a pretty dry summer. A couple of writing projects were making their rounds in the black hole of querying agents. (Okay, it’s not really a black hole, but it can feel like it with all the waiting.) In a world that worships instant gratification, the pace of the publishing world is … More ACFW 2017: A Beautiful Breaking
Okay friends…I’ve been a little radio silent on the blog lately…and social media. The new school year and travel has thrown off my routine a bit. I’m hoping to get back to regularity in my writing routine after I return from the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. This year is my second year attending … More ACFW 2017: It’s Conference Time!!!
Life’s been a little nutty, with vacations, school starting back, appointments, new pet, taking care of an elderly pet…crazy ordinary life stuff….so this piece took me a little longer to complete than I originally intended. I hope you all enjoy this fun flash fiction piece inspired by a GIF posted to my Facebook page by … More Flash Fiction: Possibilities in Pink Frosting
There have been a few photos going viral of parents standing calmly by with a serene looks on their faces as a child thrashes on the floor in the throes of a tantrum. Commenters celebrate what a great gift they are giving their child by supporting the child’s emotional expression. I’m not here to judge. … More Why you won’t see me standing calmly while my child cries on the grocery store floor…..
I asked my Facebook followers for a little writing inspiration. If they posted one picture or GIF, I committed to writing a flash fiction story to go along with it. My first bit of inspiration came from Megan Dawson. I wish I could make you all laugh as much as this GIF makes me laugh. … More Flash Fiction: Got Those Mom Moves
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