Author: Staci Mauney

A Godly Example

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Originally posted June 19, 2011

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)

When I was growing up, I discovered that my dad could do just about anything. As a welder, he could build or repair all sorts of things, and one summer, he built an impossibly large swing set with a teeter totter, swings, tire swing, and couple’s swing along with a slide that was so tall that my brother and I became the envy of all the kids in the neighborhood. Thanks to our dad, all of our friends would come over and play with us for hours on end, and we loved every minute of it. Another time, my dad took an old lawnmower that had seen better days and remodeled it so that it looked like a miniature Jeep. My brother and I spent countless hours taking turns driving that thing in circles around the yard. Continue reading “A Godly Example” →

A Father’s Influence

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” (Gen 18:19)

As Father’s Day approaches, I think it’s good to look to the men in our lives and acknowledge the impact they’ve made on us. From fathers to father figures, from grandpas to uncles, from in-laws to friends, we all know men who have been a positive influence on us and who even now have an impact on our lives and the lives of others. Continue reading “A Father’s Influence” →

Receiving Correction

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life.” (Prov 6:23)

Earlier this year, I submitted several entries to the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI) writing contest. I entered more categories than I ever had before – eight – including several categories in which I stretched myself. As the feedback started trickling in, I was surprised to see my highest score was in poetry – something I don’t write and an entry on which I spent about five minutes late one night when I couldn’t sleep. My mystery book received a good, but not great, score. I received my worst scores in the two categories that have historically been my best – juvenile fiction and flash fiction. I admit that I didn’t expect much from my flash fiction entry. It was a last minute entry, and I didn’t take nearly enough time to fully develop the story. But I had entered the juvenile fiction story in a different contest a few years ago and placed, so such a low score was kind of a shock. Continue reading “Receiving Correction” →

Leave Your Cares Behind

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil 4:6)

I watch the birds flit through the air in my backyard. There’s a cardinal in the tree. Its red feathers stand out among the branches and leaves of the tree. Some believe that cardinals represent the spirits of those who have passed. Maybe one of my grandparents or my uncle has come to visit. Others believe that a cardinal sighting for a single person is a good sign – it may be a sign of a future romantic encounter. I like the idea of that one, too. Continue reading “Leave Your Cares Behind” →

Lingering with Lilly

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Rom 12:12)

Lilly pulls me down the street, tugging hard at her leash. She stops abruptly to sniff around the bottom of the neighbor’s trash can. She walks two steps and sniffs a spot on the ground, and then wanders into the road to sniff a piece of gravel. Satisfied, she takes off again, only to careen into the yard two houses down to sniff something in the grass that I can’t see. Continue reading “Lingering with Lilly” →