Category: Christianity

We Can Do Hard Things

Posted on by Staci Mauney

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. (Ps. 90:17)

At WriterCon 2021, I went to two sessions on time management—one by Jennifer McMurrain and the other by Tamara Grantham. I know the tricks and tips—I’ve taught them to other writers myself. But lately, applying them to my own writing life has been a challenge. I was hoping to learn something new, or to hear an old piece of advice taught in a new way. And I did.

One of the things I’ve struggled with revolves around completing my cozy mystery. I’m not usually a procrastinator, but I found that I would put my manuscript aside to work on almost any mundane task instead. Continue reading “We Can Do Hard Things” →

The Lies We Believe

Posted on by Staci Mauney

God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. (Ps. 46:5)

I attended WriterCon, an annual writing conference, over Labor Day weekend. The speakers and sessions this year provided a wealth of information. Several stuck out to me—too many to list here, really. But the one on my mind today is the last session I attended on Sunday. Laurel Thomas taught about how writers can find their story’s theme by examining the lie their main character believes.

This doesn’t just apply to writing fictional characters. We are the characters in our own story, and we all believe lies Satan has told us. Some common lies we believe are that we are not good enough, we are not worthy, no one loves us, we have to be perfect, and we did too much bad stuff in our pasts for God to use us. Continue reading “The Lies We Believe” →

Tending to Our Relationship with God

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” (1 Chron. 16:11)

A few months ago, I planted a variety of flowers in containers and some vegetables in raised beds. I made sure to plant each flower and veggie in partial sun. When I’ve planted in direct sunlight in the past, even those varieties that say they can be planted in full sun wither and die in the brutal Oklahoma heat.

After an unseasonably cool and wet spring, my plants took off, with the flowers nearly bursting out of their containers. The unseasonably cool temperatures continued into the summer, and even though we’ve had plenty of hot and humid days, the cooler temperatures combined with lots of rain and shade have led to my garden flourishing in a way I haven’t seen in years. Continue reading “Tending to Our Relationship with God” →

Celebrating Another Year

Posted on by Staci Mauney

For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. (Prov. 9:11)

Happy birthday month to me!

Yes, that’s right—my forty-fourth birthday fell on Friday, August 13. I’m a big fan of Friday the 13th birthdays. I hold none of the superstitions about the date, and I feel a comradeship with others who were born on the thirteenth of any month due to the suspicious view of the number thirteen. I, on the other hand, think it’s fun. Continue reading “Celebrating Another Year” →

Rediscovering Lost Connections

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” (Prov. 18:1)

In the last two weeks, I’ve attended two events where I sold my devotionals. These events were the first of their kind I’ve gone to in almost two years. The truth is, before the pandemic hit, I had decided not to attend these types of events. They are time consuming, and I struggle with the in-person sales part. But during the pandemic, my book sales tanked (not that they were that great to begin with, but I went from a few to almost none overnight). And I realized that in-person events were more beneficial than I realized for an unknown author like me. Continue reading “Rediscovering Lost Connections” →