Tag: Jesus

2021 in Three Words

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (1 Chron. 16:34)

Most of us had high hopes that 2021 would be better than 2020. For some people, I’m sure that was true. But for many others, the tragedy, discord, and chaos continued. For me, like many other years, 2021 was a mix of both good and bad.

A few years ago, I started a practice at the beginning of the year where I find three words to describe the previous year. Now, I’m sure you have some choice words for 2021, as we all do, but my words aren’t good riddance, 2021, even though that would be fitting. Instead, I want to focus on the positive. Continue reading “2021 in Three Words” →

Longing for Peace

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This post was originally published on December 23, 2019.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is 9:6)

Peace is elusive. With the invention of the smartphone, we are constantly connected and bombarded by dings, rings, and chimes. Instead of finding activities to engage our minds, we pull out our phones when we’re bored and pass the time on mindless games or scrolling through social media. We have email on our phones, so even when we’re away from the office, we’re still available and always on call. “Downtime” isn’t a word that’s even in our vocabulary anymore. Continue reading “Longing for Peace” →

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” →