Author: Staci Mauney

My Personal Top 40

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa 41:10)

Today is my 40th birthday, so happy birthday to me! I wanted to share with you 40 lessons I’ve learned over the course of my life. Some of them are obvious, but I think they bear repeating. Some, like the lessons I’ve learned about putting myself out there and talking to strangers, may not apply to you if you’re an extrovert. Some are humorous because “A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Prov 17:22a). Hopefully, you’ll find some of them to be eye-opening and helpful in your own life. Continue reading “My Personal Top 40” →

Finding Community

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2)

By the time I moved to the big city last fall, I had several good friends who already lived here. To make new friends, I joined book clubs and a church. I attended writing meetings and got involved as a board member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (OWFI). I even briefly tried online dating. Continue reading “Finding Community” →

The Sedentary Life of a Writer

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? (1 Cor 3:16)

As a writer and editor, I live a sedentary lifestyle. I sit all day, staring at a computer screen. I have to make a concerted effort to get up and move, and I fail at this most of the time. I have a FitBit that will buzz at me once an hour for twelve hours to remind me to move if I have sat too long. The bad thing is that I tend to ignore it. Continue reading “The Sedentary Life of a Writer” →

Learning to Choose Grace

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Learning to Choose Grace

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. (Song of Songs 4:7)

Dove launched their Beautiful campaign to help women see that feeling beautiful is a choice that each one of us can make everyday. Recently, one of the commercials from that campaign hit home for me. In the commercial, women from five cities around the world approached a building and were given the choice of two doors through which they could enter. They were being filmed, but didn’t know it. One door had the word “beautiful” on a sign hanging over it and the other had the word “average” above it. The number of gorgeous women who chose the “average” door surprised me, and the ones who chose the “beautiful” door second guessed themselves. At first, I watched in confusion, and then I realized that I would have done the same thing. Continue reading “Learning to Choose Grace” →

Comfort in the Pain

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Comfort in the Pain

“May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.” (Ps 119:76)

I heard the screen door open and the mail slot squeak as the mail carrier opened the door to shove the mail through the slot. Lilly barked and charged at the door, grabbing the mail as it came through the slot. She slung the mail across the room and ran head-first into the door as she tried to get to the offender who dared to invade our space. Continue reading “Comfort in the Pain” →