I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the lookout for devotionals that will challenge me. Yet they have to be something I can do in the midst of my busy life. And ideally, they’ll help me grow in my faith. One I received recently is Ginger Garrett’s A Woman’s Path to Inner Beauty. When I first heard about …
How do we generate creativity in kids?
In Sunday school we talked about a study Mark Batterson referenced in his book In a Pit… It focuses on divergent thinking and showed that 98% of children between the ages of 3-5 score in the genius category, 32% of children between the ages of 8-10 score at the genius level, 10% of teenagers, and 2% of those over 25. …
Do We Shortchange Christian Youth?
I know…the title isn’t typical of what I’ve posted lately. But it’s something I’ve thought about the last couple weeks. In In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day Mark Batterson mentions almost as a sidenote: Lion chasers refuse to live their lives in a defensive posture. They are actively looking for ways to make a difference.” (p. …
Taking Time to Pause
Next week I’ll return to the Classic Hollywood Reviews. Feel free to let me know what some of your favorites are through comments. I’m always looking for new movies to try. But as this month has blown by, I’ve been thinking about pausing. I know…those of you who know me are laughing hysterically. I am not a girl known for …
Heaven is for Real
Curious about the book Heaven is for Real? The author Todd Burpo spoke at my parents’ church yesterday. Listen to the stories. Read the book. Judge for yourself. I read the book in an afternoon. And my ten-year-old read it in two nights. Heaven is for Real. Just like Christ is real. The chapter that meant the most to me …
What’s Your Word for 2011?
Since it’s the beginning of a new year, I’ve been asking God over the last several weeks what my word or theme for this year is. If you listen to K-LOVE, I’m sure you heard them talking about that last week, too. I don’t remember where I first ran into the idea, but I love asking God for a word …
Why Faithful?
One of the true joys of the writing journey is the people I’ve met along the way. If I started giving you a list of the delightful people I’ve met, it would take pages. But today, I want to introduce you to a dear sister, Kim Cash Tate. We met at ACFW in 2009 and quickly discovered we had a …
God as a Consuming Fire
One of the names that the Bible gives God is that of a consuming fire. See Hebrews 12:29. The last few days this image has played through my mind. What does it really mean to be a consuming fire? I think of a forest fire that rages out of control. One that the wind whips into a fury and then …
What’s the biggest thing holding you back?
Between sermons and Sunday school classes, I’ve really been thinking about this. What’s the biggest thing holding back my faith? What’s the biggest thing keeping me from desiring more of God? In bigger ways? Is it a lack of faith? God couldn’t really mean what He says… Is it false humility/pride? God does that kind of stuff for other people, …
Inspiration v. Transformation
Yesterday in Sunday School, we watched the second video in the Extraordinary study by John Bevere. One of the things he mentioned was whether we settled for inspiration which can come from many sources (books, poetry, music, etc.) or for the transformation God wants to work out in our lives. Someone mentioned during the discussion that we tend to run …