Drumroll... Some of you have seen it since it has hit Tyndale's website, along with Goodreads, Amazon, and several other sites, but for those who haven't, here is the cover of my upcoming release "Engraved on the Heart", available June 1, 2018. I love freedom fighters and those in the Civil War were among the very finest. Please pray for God's divine favor as Keziah and Micah's story is released. I pray God will use it to touch the hearts of people who are struggling with the lie "I am worthless". May the truth of the cross set them free.

Last year I took a fascinating class at the national American Christian Fiction Writers conference in Nashville, Tennessee. It was taught by Carrie Stuart Parks, an author and forensic artist and was titled "Don't Lie to Me". The premise of the class was how language can be an identifier to recognize deception. When I realized I was sitting next to a bonafide FBI agent who was absorbing the information to teach to new recruits, I admit I felt a little thrill. I'm learning the same stuff FBI agents know. Coolness. One thing Mrs. Parks brought out was the importance of…

Words are powerful. They can build up a life through language doused in love, or they can cut a life down like a scythe slicing through brittle grass. When I recently asked my oldest daughter what she loved most about her two best friends at school, she replied, "I've never heard either of them said a bad word about anyone. Ever. They are always kind. Not just to people's faces, but all the time. It's hard not to love being around girls like that." Her reflection caused me to evaluate my own life. Jesus told us what comes from our…

Sometimes I don't have much to say. Not enough words to fill up a haiku, much less a blog. Life gets busy, my body runs on fumes and caffeine, kids scream for attention...you know the drill. Yet despite the normal grind of living, the fear never completely goes away. The enemy is always lurking, ever hissing and flinging his accusations, preying upon my darkest secrets and coldest fears. There are some battles that must be fought over and over again. That's okay. If you're a recovering people-pleaser like me, remind yourself of this truth today: "Some people will like me,…

It seems like yesterday I was welcoming you into the world. I thought you would always be in diapers, watching Sesame Street and learning your alphabet. I blinked and suddenly we've traded Cheerios and sippy cups for makeup and iphones. And now, much to your father's dismay, your heads have begun to turn when a handsome boy gives you a wink and a smile. Boyfriends will come and go. You'll face heartbreak and joy, tears and laughter. As someone who is, ahem, a bit older than you, here is what I want you to know, so you'll have the happiest…

As I watched the footage of the horrific shooting in Las Vegas, my heart ripped a little further. Senseless. I can't understand the hate that would fill a mind and heart so completely that they would shoot into a crowd of happy, oblivious people. Not just one shot, not two, but over and over and over again. My chest aches and my throat swells as I relive the terror captured on screen. No sooner had I posted my condolences and prayers then I saw it. Wave after wave of posts along these lines... "It's Sin City. Sin always exacts a…