If there’s one part of the body that gets some majorly bad press in God’s Word…it’s the tongue. And for good reason. My mouth has gotten me into more trouble than I care to admit. “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course …
Called to a Job Bigger than You
It’s more than a little scary when God calls us to do a job that’s bigger than we are. I feel that gallop in my heart each time I begin the first sentence of a new book or have to propose new projects to my publisher. How about you? Are there things in your life that feel overwhelming? Projects or …
Planning Ahead for Miriam’s Release
Have you started buying Christmas presents yet? What about Valentine’s Day candy? Made plans for Spring break 2016? It may seem crazy to plan so far ahead, but such is my life these days. Miriam, my second novel of the Treasure of the Nile series will release in March 2016, and we’re already gearing up for the big event! One …
Sacred Rhythms—Creating a Rule of Life
I recently returned home from a 24-day trip feeling both tired and refreshed. Tired from sleeping in strange beds and a busy travel schedule, but refreshed because it was a break from the normal deadlines and routines. Back in June, before I left, I remember wondering how the trip might impact my practice of the disciplines I’ve learned while studying …
Studying Sacred Rhythms—Sabbath
A few years ago, we hosted an exchange student from Sweden. It was our first year as empty-nesters, so it was just Roy and I in the house with this sixteen-year-old girl who had been raised on TV reruns of Friends and lived very differently than our conservative Midwest townsfolk. Surprisingly, the biggest difference was our work ethic. Jenny thought …
Studying Sacred Rhythms—Self-Examination
We’ve been taking Zeke to puppy kindergarten. They taught us something called the Restraint Exercise because someday Zeke might need to lie completely still for his own safety—at the vet’s office, if he’s been injured, etc. I lay him gently on his side, all four legs outstretched, and hold him there until he’s completely relaxed. The first time we tried …