Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lam. 3:22–23)
August is my birthday month, and each year, I approach the days leading up to my birthday with an attitude of reflection. What have I accomplished this past year? What do I want the next year to bring? Continue reading “Birthday Reflections”
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)
Every July, I like to check in and see what kind of progress I’m making with my word for the year. Yes, I know it’s August—I’m behind. Which kind of sums up my year, I think.
My word for the year is purpose. In January, as the new year dawned, I was excited and a little anxious—how would God use this word in my life? I know my overall purpose is to obey him and give him the glory. But what new, deeper purpose would he reveal? What would my purpose require me to do? In what ways would I be challenged? Continue reading “Viewing My Purpose Through the Lens of Grace”
“The end of a matter is better than its beginning…” (Ecc. 7:8)
As the year draws to a close, I’d like to share a few of my top blog posts of 2021 with you. I usually post once a week, but I didn’t post quite as often in the second half of this year due to other obligations that took up my time. But I have many new blog posts planned for 2022, so stay tuned! Continue reading “Top 5 of 2021”
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”
“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”