Month: May 2019

The Specter of Perfectionism

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (Ps 18:32, NLT)

Years ago, my parents and I worked on a house painting project together. Usually, my dad and I work well together. However, for that project, it seemed neither of us could do anything right. I wanted the room to look perfect when we were done, and I had a vision of the final version in my head. My dad didn’t do things my way, and I didn’t do things his way, so I almost scrapped the entire project before we started. My mom, caught in the middle, gave up and left us to it. In the end, we talked it out, compromised, and finished the job, which turned out better than I had hoped.

Perfectionism. I’ve been plagued by it all my life. Perfectionism isn’t reality. As humans, we can never be perfect. Only one man was perfect: Jesus. Continue reading “The Specter of Perfectionism” →

Winning the OWFI Writing Contest

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms…” (1 Pt 4:10)

On Saturday, May 4, 2019, I officially became an award-winning author. After almost 10 years of entering the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI) annual writing contest, I won two awards: first place for blogs (nonfiction) and honorable mention for mystery/suspense novel.

If you’ve read my work for very long, then you’ve read about the winding journey that led to my starting the blog in 2010. (Read about my journey here.) Continue reading “Winning the OWFI Writing Contest” →

A Mother’s Influence

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This post was originally published in 2018.

“Her children arise and call her blessed…” (Prov 31:28)

Since Mother’s Day is today, this seems like a good time to acknowledge the women who have influenced me the most in my life. From my mom to her mom to my dad’s mom, these women have provided strong examples of who a Christian woman should be. Continue reading “A Mother’s Influence” →

Lessons Learned from Leading OWFI

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“He [David] cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands.” (Ps 78:72 NLT)

For the last year, I’ve served as the 2019 Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI) president. As of today, my tenure as president is over, but not my involvement in OWFI or my local writing community. (In last week’s blog post, I wrote about the transition I was facing. You can read that post here.)

For years, I believed I couldn’t be a leader because I’m introverted and quiet. I don’t like making decisions, but I do believe in standing up for people and doing the right thing. Over the years, I’ve held various leadership positions that, in hindsight, I know prepared me for this one. Continue reading “Lessons Learned from Leading OWFI” →