I always have some form of pain/suffering in my books. Why? Probably to make them relatable - I don’t know a single person who has not endured some form of suffering over the course of life. I have noticed a pattern in my stories that my favorite characters end up being the ones who endure... Continue Reading →
Escaping the Houdini Handcuffs of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Thoughts
All right, I know those little bamboo thingies people use as gag gifts are actually called Chinese finger traps, but I’ve always called them Houdini handcuffs, probably because of a certain cartoon that showed the skeleton of Harry Houdini and a finger trap on his index fingers as if it was the one thing he... Continue Reading →
The River: An Analogy
Imagine all the people of the world are in a giant river with banks too steep to climb. The banks are the Law given through Moses, the Old Covenant. Everyone falls short. No one is “good enough” to climb out on their own. Some people in the river can swim and think they are doing... Continue Reading →
God is a Person
Imagine there were no men in the world, only women. (No wisecracks, please.) What if there were one woman who had a husband, the only man on planet Earth… How would she describe him to her companions? She could describe his physical features. Perhaps she could describe his biological makeup and its differences to women’s.... Continue Reading →
Why My Sin?
Why does God allow me to keep on being sinful? I don't think I'm the only one who has ever asked that. I love Jesus. I want to give Him my all and my best, and I want my all to BE my best. But it isn't. Not even close. My all includes all this... Continue Reading →
One Reason to Read
It's better to learn from the mistakes of fictional characters than to make the mistakes yourself. Photo by Dieterich01 on Pixabay.
Answers for the Quiet Heart
Very early this morning I asked God why He had allowed some very painful things to occur in my life. I wasn't angry with Him, and I wasn't insecure about His love for me. I wasn't questioning His involvement or His purposes for my life. I did not ask out of indignation nor out of... Continue Reading →
A Forgiving God, from the perspective of a Criminal Justice major
Forgiveness: A definition Forgiveness is an often misunderstood word. We confuse it with condonation, we confuse it with trust, and we confuse it with justification. To condone someone is to ignore or overlook a wrong. To trust someone is to rely on that person. To justify someone is to excuse an action or claim that... Continue Reading →
Childlike & Wise
Have you ever met someone with a childlike spirit? First, we should all recognize that there is a world of difference between childish and childlike. Childish is what no one wants to be around. Childlike is someone who shares a purity of heart, a ready love, an innocent joy, and a never-ending sense of wonder... Continue Reading →
Depths of Thought: The Purpose Stripped Life
In Sunday School today my class was asked what in our lives would devastate us if it were taken away. The theme was about loving Jesus for who He is rather than loving more the gifts He gives us. Most answers started with family then went on to health and jobs and such. My first... Continue Reading →
Depths of Thought: Changing God’s Mind
“God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?” - Numbers 23:19 “For I, the LORD, do not change…” - Malachi 3:6 “Every good thing given... Continue Reading →
Depths of Thought: Shortcut to Perfection
I love fiction. I learn much through fiction, whether it is made by Christians or non. There always seem to be threads of truth lurking somewhere within, even if the ones who created the fiction have strong beliefs in lies. One thing I’ve noticed recently is how much modern fiction seems to include a search... Continue Reading →