I met Melissa Stroh (aka MN Stroh) through the Jerry B. Jenkins Writers Guild years ago and have had the privilege ever since to count her a dear friend and sister in Christ. She is supportive, sweet, insanely knowledgeable, hardworking, and a fabulous listener. Melissa writes edgy Christian historical fiction (romance and adventure stories) set in Medieval Ireland in the…
It hit me, perhaps, because my son (who just turned thirteen years old!) was working on his science fair project over Christmas break. He had been encouraged to select a simple, repeatable experiment and to isolate the components so that there was only one variable. And as I sat reflecting over this year, I remembered something I heard or read…
I had just settled on the couch, grateful to have crossed the day’s finish line with two kids intact and in bed. I eagerly reached for a book I’d been longing to read, when my six-year-old padded out of her room – one bare foot and one slipper-socked foot. I bristled, wondering with the psalmist how long, O Lord? Sweet…
Some people readily promote all kinds of products and books (and that’s great), but I’m way too picky, and I hate the idea of coming across like a slick scamming salesman. That is NOT the case here. Comparison Girl has personally benefited me, and I’m convinced you will benefit too, to the point that I don’t mind if this slightly…
The Struggle is Real I have this bad habit of letting my desire for perfection paralyze me over the stupidest things (and some not-so-stupid things). Like cleaning the house. Maybe it doesn’t help that I enjoy watching HGTV that features jaw-dropping renovations, transforming every inch into equal parts function and beauty. Then I turn off the tv and gaze at…
I’m a recovering grayish-black thumb (aka discouraged gardener wanna-be), but this year I’m enamored watching plants grow in our yard (aka maybe there’s hope!). Maybe it’s that I have more energy this year for this kind of thing. Maybe it’s the joy of collaborative contributions. Whatever it is, I’m dubbing it the year of the plants! Early in the season,…
Two disclaimers before you advance any farther. #1: If you think that the four years you spent in high school (or college) were the best years of your life, this post is not for you. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, click out of this article, abort mission. (Unless you are actually in highschool or college! Then disregard…
This Yeah, Whatever series is all about Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. The intent is to think of concrete examples for each so the command does not stay abstract. I’ve designed a note…
When I was in second grade I spent my recesses searching the playground’s pea gravel for agates. These rocks were precious finds but not so uncommon that I didn’t often travel home with weighted coat pockets. I collected rocks at the beach and occasionally at a souvenir shop. I had a clear jar of interesting river rocks filled with water…
It’s deceptively delightful at the moment – homemade applesauce simmers on the stove permeating the house with the fragrance of cinnamon. It’s not that the applesauce isn’t delicious or that the house doesn’t smell amazing. It is, and it does. But the circumstances prompting this uncharacteristic domestic display are less than ideal. What doom and gloom created applesauce-awesomeness-from-scratch at the…
