Writing from the Fire Within
Keep in mind that not everything you write will be best-selling work. Some will not be stellar. No worries. Store those tales away for the future. You may find that you’ve created uncut diamonds that need to be faceted and polished into beautiful story gems. — Ellen Buikema Passion is powerful. It can push you to […]
Finishing Well
In what ways does God provide guidance for his children? God is like a loving father, correcting his children and allowing them to endure hard times because he wants the best for them. As obedient children, endure the hard times, because no loving father will fail to train his children. — Hebrews 12:6–7 The Discussion […]
Perseverance: The Writer’s Journey of Faith
Rejection is not failure—it is direction. We take a moment to feel the sting … then we return to the calling that first stirred our hearts. — Edie Melson The hardest part of writing might seem to be starting, but often, it’s continuing. The blank page may intimidate us, but it’s the long, uncertain journey […]
The Five-Fold Ministry
What is the power behind all the ministries in the church? How could giving ministries a title hinder the work? In what ways might it help? The foundation I have laid is Jesus Christ, and no man should lay any other. Build upon this foundation gold, silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, and stubble. […]
Need for a Co-Author
There’s always a new edge, a new skill you can almost—but not quite—do on your own. And that’s the best part of writing. There’s no finish line, only the next sweet spot where growth lives: just far enough to stretch you, but close enough to reach … with a little help. — Jenny Hansen “Just […]
God’s Clothing Line
What does it mean to rejoice in God with our “whole being”? I will delight in the Lord. My whole being will rejoice in God, for he has clothed me with salvation. He has covered me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom dresses handsomely or the bride adorns herself with sparkling jewels. — […]
Supercalifragilistic Writing
Frequently a great difference exists between the words you need in order to understand yourself and the words you need to make the same thought clear to someone else. — Theodore A. Rees Cheney Words are more than sound and ink. They are vehicles of thought, emotion, and spirit. In Genesis, the first act of […]
The Voice of God
If nobody has ever seen God, how can we know him or recognize his voice? No one has ever seen God. However, his Son, who came from him, has revealed him to us. God has spoken to us through his Son, through whom all things were created in the beginning and will belong to him […]
Supercalifragilistic Thrills
People keep asking how I’m doing. What can I say? Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious seems about right. It’s a perfectly reasonable medical term—somewhere between “stable” and “still breathing.” I even wrote a poem about it, because apparently that’s what happens when you don’t understand your lab results. This month, I finally had another blood test. I wasn’t sure […]
Light Bearers: A Call to Authentic Expression
What makes us likable isn’t being perfect. What makes us likable is the fact that we’re vulnerable, that we don’t always know the “right answer” to everything. — Lisa Cron Light has no value if it’s hidden. We were made the light of the world so we would let our light shine in the darkness. […]
Winning the Battle of Our Thoughts
Why should we expect our journey to be difficult? What can we do to “guard” our desires? Tighten the seatbelts of your mind and be alert, prepared for a difficult ride, eagerly anticipating God’s unmerited favor at the end when Jesus returns. More than anything, guard the desire of your heart, which governs everything you […]
To Tell the Truth
There is no substitute for the age-old story formula: the hero (or heroin) has a serious problem. He attempts to solve it but plunges deeper into danger. His stumbling blocks, growing logically from his efforts to find a solution, become increasingly monumental. At last, forced by the harsh circumstances to learn something about himself or […]