“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” ~Psalm 34:14 Part of seeking peace and pursuing it, not just seeking it but making it a defining characteristic of a believer’s life, is not solely found in a list of things to be, but is discovered within the Bible as specific things to avoid. No matter how much we dislike the thought, walking with Jesus requires cutting away things that harm us. Relationships that poison our emotions and thoughts. Patterns of living that Read More
Walking with God
My Word for 2019
“All of us want to be humble. None of want what it takes to get there.” I’m not sure who coined the phrase but I’ve learned it’s quite true. We long to have noble defining characteristics marking our spirit, but when we realize what we must endure to be shaped into that image, well, ‘walking the walk’ takes on a whole new meaning. 2018 has been the single hardest year of my entire life. My family and I have endured assaults on every front—multiple medical Read More
When Silence Isn’t Golden
I’ve recently spent the past few weeks on voice rest. After finding a massive yeast infection and a cyst on my vocal chords, my doctor insisted on medicine and as little speaking as possible for three weeks. It was frustrating to say the least, but I learned several lessons I pray I won’t forget. Lesson #1: There are so many ways to communicate. I’ve always known this, but I never truly understood that 90% of communication can be passed along with body language, mouthing, facial Read More
“But I’m Not a Teacher…”
You never know what melodramatic scenarios are being rehearsed in the mind of a five- year-old boy. Some days my son is shooting bad guys with Captain America and smashing enemies with Hulk. Other times he might be jumping through kingdoms with Mario and throwing fireballs at Bowser. As I drove him to school this morning, he stared out the window, watching the cattle pastures and electrical lines blur past. A frown puckered his lips and pinched his brows. “What are you thinking about, buddy?” Read More
Jesus is Mine
I was recently asked to name my favorite praise song or hymn of all time. Several tunes flitted through my mind. Matt Maher’s “Lord, I Need You” is a definite favorite, along with “It is Well with My Soul”, “He Hideth my Soul”, “He Leadeth Me” and “Great is thy Faithfulness”. But the one song that whispers peace to my heart like no other is Fanny Crosby’s “Blessed Assurance”. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase Read More
Painting Rust
Our front door is a mess. It’s a white door with glass insets, trimmed with frosted scroll work around the edges. It would be quite lovely…were it not for the bubbled rust marring the bottom corner. When the first signs of moisture damage popped up, I wasn’t too worried. After all, it was only a little rust. We live in the south. Humidity is our bread and butter. However, after a few weeks I noticed the spots of orange spreading and taking away from the Read More
What Am I Really Chasing?
I have no idea how it started. Little hints of discouragement. The nagging whispers of “Those other authors are better than you. Their books look like they are doing well. Is yours even selling?” A rough day with the kids and that poisonous hiss tickled my ear. “If you were a better mom, this wouldn’t have happened.” A long to-do list that is never completed. Phone calls that never stop. Some days, I feel like I’m struggling just to keep my head above water. I Read More
I Have This Treasure
A cold, clenched stomach. Darkness. A pounding heart. All you want to do is hide. You beg the eyes fixed on you to disappear but they won’t. They gape and you wonder what they must think, how they must see you. You feel worthless. Exposed. I’m talking about shame. Is there a more miserable feeling? Growing up with a seizure disorder left me with plenty of fodder for times to reflect on this feeling. Most of the time I felt normal. Included. And then suddenly, Read More
The Underground Railroad and God’s Navigation System
In my debut novel Engraved on the Heart, Keziah Montgomery fights against her family, her culture and her own battle with epilepsy to lead slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Like many, I had learned about the Underground Railroad in school but was unaware of the delicate and highly intrinsic system of unspoken communication the Railroad utilized. Messages had to be screamed in silence, urgency carried through the façade of the mundane. How were these brave men and women scattered across multiple states able Read More
Charlotte Elliott: Just As I Am
It’s been a rough couple of weeks. End of the year school activities. New summer schedules. Church classes to teach. Writing deadlines and an upcoming book to launch. Loved ones in the hospital and children going through tough stuff. Life can sometimes keep us spinning. To use a Southern turn of phrase…I’ve been dragging tail. I confess I’ve begun to wonder, “What if the demands never ease? What if I fail my kids? My family? My church? What if I can’t keep it together until Read More