faith

Dear January 2017 Self – 1,000 Followers

Dear January 2017 Self, I see your pain, your ache, your frustration from a dream squelched and festering beneath the surface. I know how seeing other people pursuing writing dreams opens a jealousy that makes you hate that you ever wanted to write. I know your confidence in writing is hovering imperceptibly above zero. I know you’re still licking the wounds from college, wishing you could un-hear the jeers and jokes made at your expense in your creative writing class. [...]

By |2019-11-24T14:18:11-08:00November 19th, 2019|faith, my story, novel, writing|0 Comments
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Where Life and Writing Meet

My very first published-in-print essay is coming out in the Flourish Motherhood magazine next month (you can preorder it here if you are interested). I submitted this essay back in January, at a time when some family health issues were reaching a head, and we had finally received a diagnosis (that I really, really didn’t want). I was frustrated, and I was angry, and I was so, so tired. So, logically, I submitted an essay on finding peace despite our [...]

By |2019-10-11T13:24:31-07:00October 11th, 2019|faith, family life, novel, writing|0 Comments
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Gloppy and Me

Do you remember the version of Candyland that has the Molasses Swamp? The swamp is at the top of the board, near the bend that sets you on the last set of squares before you reach King Kandy’s castle, the ultimate destination of the game. But, before you can reach the castle, you pull the wrong card and lose a turn while you’re slumping around with Gloppy in the Molasses Swamp. I feel like I’m hanging out with Gloppy right [...]

By |2019-02-27T14:50:23-08:00February 27th, 2019|faith, my story, novel|1 Comment
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Seeking Him First

I am knee-deep in revisions of my book right now, and by knee-deep, I mean that I’ve written a lot of notes, watched a lot of videos, listened to a lot of podcasts, signed up and participated in writing challenges, and read a few books about revising a story. But really, I’m spinning my wheels a bit and fretting and talking a LOT about my book without making significant steps forward in the revision process. All of what I’m doing [...]

By |2019-01-29T15:35:35-08:00January 29th, 2019|faith, novel, writing|5 Comments
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The Sad Loss of a Good, Long Life

I apologize in advance for the roughness of this post, but whenever I lose someone I love, I write. Below is a jumble of my processing of yet another death in our family. This is family death number eight between my husband and me in the last two and a half years. Though it was expected, it is never easy. What is this life that we hold on so tightly to? We think we have control of our existence, but [...]

By |2018-10-19T14:47:38-07:00October 19th, 2018|faith, family life|0 Comments
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Be Strong and Courageous and Other Impossible Things

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 As a child, I was a performer, despite being so shy that my mom tells me I never spoke to my kindergarten teacher. But, I loved singing and acting. I was the first to volunteer for any church play or solo. I starred as Mary in a church program when I was [...]

By |2018-10-03T20:00:53-07:00October 3rd, 2018|faith, my story, novel|5 Comments
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A Writing Life Update, and a Title

This is a long overdue writing update (I think the June 1st entry was my last actual update), so I have lots to fill you in on (especially if you don’t follow me on Instagram). First off, I finished my first draft on July 29th, almost exactly five months after I started. That in and of itself felt like the biggest accomplishment and the most anticlimactic moment of this whole process. Finishing the first draft meant I got the bones [...]

By |2018-10-02T14:23:01-07:00October 2nd, 2018|faith, my story, novel, writing|0 Comments
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Procrastination, Painting and Perspective

I have been in a writing funk this whole week. The end of May is swiftly approaching, and I am nine thousand words away from hitting my goal. I have zero inspiration, and it’s looking like I won’t hit 50k by the end of the month. It’s not big deal, but I hate missing goals. I’m a perfectionist and over-achiever by nature and missing goals discourages me. A lot. I’ve been painting our “office” for the past two days, partly [...]

By |2018-05-19T12:19:44-07:00May 19th, 2018|faith, novel, writing|2 Comments
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I’m Grateful for the Followers I Lost

Just when I think I’ve figured things out, there is something that comes along to humble me. It’s a good thing, but I won’t say it isn’t frustrating at times. Last week I wrote about planning. And while I 100% believe that planning is good, there is a huge pitfall for me when it comes to planning. Sometimes I plan, and I expect my hard work, determination, and strategic planning to make all of my plans happen. It never works [...]

By |2018-05-14T13:51:25-07:00May 14th, 2018|faith|3 Comments
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Chocolate Milk Lessons

Several years ago, before our kids were born, my husband and I started buying half gallons of organic, grass-fed milk in glass jugs. I loved buying good milk, and I loved the reusable jugs. During one shopping trip, I spotted a quart of grass-fed, glass-bottled chocolate milk. I wanted so badly to try it, but I’m frugal, and that kind of milk is already expensive. The added expense of chocolate was too frivolous. So, I passed it by. A handful [...]

By |2018-05-03T15:41:47-07:00May 3rd, 2018|faith|1 Comment
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