Matthew 6:8b-For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. (ESV) Summertime in South Carolina means afternoons so hot you start sweating before you get one flip-flop out the door. And this summer, it’s meant frequent thunderstorms so powerful they hurl hail and break branches all over the neighborhood. Summertime is supposed to… [ read more ]

So many things get in the way. I want to write. I need to clean. I want to edit. I need to cook. I want to study the craft. I need to fold the clothes. Sometimes all these distractions—these obligations—frustrate me because while I’m not sure how it’s all going to play out, I am… [ read more ]

I’m hiding from my children. I have a cup of coffee and a laptop. If I can just have thirty minutes to myself, no one gets hurt. Yeah. Right. The only way I get thirty minutes to myself is if I leave the house completely. Nothing is sacred. My kids follow me everywhere. Yes. I said everywhere.… [ read more ]

Hyp-o-crite: 1. A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion. 2. A person who acts in opposition to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. I am a hypocrite. I’ll give you a few examples. I’ve been known to shop at the health food store . . . and then run… [ read more ]

This week, I’m bringing you a few thoughts on one of my favorite passages. This devotion is currently on my parent’s church website and I’m shamelessly double posting in order to save a few brain cells as I prepare for the very soon arrival of our third child. One of the first things you learn when you begin… [ read more ]

Is it just me? It seems when I’m in the dumps, feeling defeated or am thinking about throwing in the towel, everyone around me is on a spiritual upswing. Does this happen to you? I want to whine. They encourage. I want to wallow. They point out all the great things going on in my… [ read more ]

A few months ago I had the opportunity to spend the day in bed. By “opportunity” I mean the nurse told me to stay in bed. All day. I was not pleased. Neither were my children. My two-year old, in particular, did not appreciate that Mommy was not at his beck and call. Daddy was,… [ read more ]

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. Probably because I’ve never seen one through to the end of the year. But there is something about January that makes me reflective. Something that makes me want to evaluate where I am and where I’m going. And something about it always makes me feel unsettled.… [ read more ]

I have a confession. Sometimes, I read a book so fast the first time through, that as soon as I’m done, I need to re-read it. Why? Because I have the patience of a gnat? Possibly. Mainly because I am so engrossed in the story, so engaged by the characters, so entranced by the plot… [ read more ]

I’ve had some of the most vivid and disturbing dreams of my life in the past few months. And I know what the problem is. I take a shower before I go to bed. Did I lose you? Maybe I should explain. I get some of my best ideas in the shower. I’m trying to… [ read more ]