Can I be honest with you for a minute? I...am a coward. I admit it. I am a big, stinking, coward. When given the option between fight and flight, I will choose flight every single time. I shrink away from conflict, practice danger avoidance at all costs, and very rarely take unnecessary risks. I am … Continue reading Take Courage

My friend has a very unusual dog. He's the sweetest little thing, always up for ear scratches and belly rubs whenever I come over. As a dachshund, he must sense that I am a kindred spirit, having two of the sausage-shaped doggies myself. Or maybe he just really likes the way I rub his head. … Continue reading Lessons in Kibble

Welcome back, friends! After a long, relaxing summer, I'm happy to be back on the blog, sharing with you all snippets of history and encouragement. And today, for my first column back, I thought I'd share a little bit of both. 🙂 Eighty-six years ago this month, German bombers began an assault on mainland England … Continue reading To The Roofs!

A few years ago, when my daughter was around three, we decided to load up the family RV and take it on a journey across the country. We were living in Arizona at the time, and we wanted to go visit my husband's family in Illinois but also stop at several places along the way … Continue reading Road Trip!

Have you ever eaten a humble pie? Now, don't get me wrong. I love pie. ALL pie. Give me all your pumpkin, your cherry, your pecan, your apple, and especially your key lie. But a humble pie? I think that's the only one I could do without. Unfortunately, often times, I need it. And God … Continue reading Humble Pie

Fred Smith, the noted evangelical, once observed: "Grace was genuine, real, personal, and palpable to the great saints. Brother Lawrence, Frank Laubach, Francois Fenelon--these Christians mystics never doubted they were the constant recipients of God's amazing grace. Grace was a practical part of their everyday lives." As Christians, the word "grace" is a common part … Continue reading Reluctant Freedom

One of the questions I get asked about the most as a writer is about criticism. And I'll be honest, criticism is a tough one for me. When you take a chance and put anything out into the world--be it a book, a piece of art, or even just a thought or idea--you open yourself … Continue reading Approval Addict

I've recently started a study of the Book of Romans, a part of Scripture that's almost as familiar to me as the back of my hand (as the saying goes). But, one of my favorite things about studying the Bible is God's never-ceasing ability to make well-known passages new again and to reveal fresh truths … Continue reading Thwarted Plans

"Being a Christian seems too easy." This was a sentiment I came across online the other day that really caught me off guard. In the corresponding post, this person (who was not a Christian), sought to eviscerate the faith by reducing it to nothing more than a few magic words. "You say this prayer," he … Continue reading The Hardest Easy Thing

I'm entering a new stage of motherhood, and I don't like it one bit. My son, now a teenager, is starting to have girlfriends. UGH! Granted, these are "relationships" in only the loosest sense of the word. They text. They hang out in groups. They sometimes talk on the phone. For the most part, their … Continue reading Give and Take