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Tara Johnson

sharing stories through writing, speaking and singing

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broken

It’s All About Jesus…and Me: When the Entitlement Culture Hits our Churches

August 12, 2019 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

Scenario: Girl gets married. Girl’s church is excited and throws her a big shower. In only a few months, girl discovers her new husband is an abuser. Girl manages to escape and seeks godly counsel. Godly counsel advises girl to return home to her family that lives far away, ensuring safety from her abusive husband. Girl’s church sends her a harsh letter not long after, demanding she apologize for leaving. After all, they had given her a beautiful shower and supported her through some tough Read More

Filed Under: Church Life Tagged With: broken, entitlement, helping the hurting, it's all about me, it's not about me, Loving People, loving the broken, messy people, take up my cross, understanding grace, vulnerability, walking like Jesus

The Mean Stepsister

July 21, 2018 By Tara Johnson 1 Comment

Redemption is a beautiful thing. There is something, dare I say, romantic about someone with power and position plucking a nobody from the crowd and claiming them as their own. Perhaps that’s why I’ve so frequently heard the Gospel compared to a fairy tale story. A king sweeping the lonely girl away to a land where all her dreams come true. Not long ago, I heard someone compare what God has done to the story of Cinderella. I understand the gist of this kind of Read More

Filed Under: Beyond What We Can Imagine Tagged With: broken, chosen, cinderella, Jesus, Love, love transforms, Prince, redeemed, redemption, stepsister, transform, Worth

Broken But Never Worthless

May 6, 2018 By Tara Johnson 1 Comment

In my debut novel Engraved on the Heart, the heroine Keziah battles epilepsy at a time in history when epilepsy was widely misunderstood and resulted in many of the sufferers to be placed in asylums. I grew up battling epilepsy as well. I remember the shame, the horror when consciousness slowly trickled back as dozens of wide eyes stared at me in shock. I’ll never forget the frustration of grasping for a gaping black hole of time in my memory that couldn’t be recovered. What Read More

Filed Under: Writer's Life, Writing Fiction Tagged With: broken, broken not worthless, Engraved on the Heart, epilepsy, famous people who had epilepsy, fiction, strength in weakness

The Broken Phone

April 14, 2018 By Tara Johnson 1 Comment

“You gonna replace your phone?” I’ve heard the question countless times. I suppose it’s a reasonable remark considering the state of my cracked phone screen. How the multiple shards of glass have managed to keep from falling out or cutting my fingers is a mystery. Still, the question rankles me a bit. Why? Because the phone works just fine despite its cracked appearance.  We are a people obsessed with perfection. If something is broken, just toss it away and replace it with a new model. Read More

Filed Under: perfectionism Tagged With: broken, broken doesn't mean worthless, brokenness, defining worth, God uses broken things, perfection, the lie of perfection, Worth

The Broken Piano

August 7, 2017 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

“Great musicians should have only the finest instruments in their homes.” The caustic comment from the piano tuner who had curled up his nose at my old spinet piano has bothered me for fourteen years, though I’ve had a hard time figuring out why. I thought maybe it was the man’s attitude when he entered my home. I had been desperately searching for a tuner willing to take on my pawn shop find but from the moment this guy laid eyes on it, his annoyed Read More

Filed Under: Beyond What We Can Imagine, Music, satan's lies, Uncategorized, Walking with God Tagged With: beauty in broken, broken, broken is not permanent, enemy's lies, God heals, God restores, healing, Jesus restores, melodies from the broken, Worth

The Seeing Blind

March 20, 2017 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

In this present darkness, most of us feel oppressed at every turn. We sense spiritual forces battling it out. Good versus evil. Angels versus demons. Light against shadows. We’ve been taught to be good soldiers for Christ. Take up our cross and fight. Fight for truth. Fight for our children. Fight, well, for everything. Speaking the truth is always the right thing to do. We must speak what God has declared to be true, omitting nothing. But one thing most of us forget is this: Read More

Filed Under: Beyond What We Can Imagine, Uncategorized Tagged With: broken, Forgiveness, God, God's love, good fight, good news, gospel, healing, hope, hurting, Jesus, Love, Scandalous love, scars, sin, social media, truth, truth and love

The Mean Stepsister

January 23, 2017 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

  Redemption is a beautiful thing. There is something so poignant, something almost sweeping and, dare I say, romantic about someone with power and position plucking a nobody from the crowd and claiming them as their own. Perhaps that’s why I’ve so frequently heard the Gospel compared to a fairy tale story. A king sweeping the lonely girl away to a land where all her dreams come true. Not long ago, I heard someone compare what God has done to the story of Cinderella. I Read More

Filed Under: Beyond What We Can Imagine, Uncategorized Tagged With: broken, cinderella, fairy tale, God's love, good news, gospel, Jesus, redemption, saved, stepsister, unlovable

The Redemption of Kip

July 5, 2016 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

“Runt.” “He’ll never live.” “He’s so scrawny.” I don’t know what I did wrong. I was born, I guess. While all my brothers and sisters were cute, wriggly little pups, I was the outcast. Never expected to do much. To be much. At the pet store, the chubby, groping fingers of girls and boys would rove over all of our heads, scratching our ears, picking us up and snuggling their cheeks next to ours. Such happy feelings filled me, I couldn’t help but lick their Read More

Filed Under: Beyond What We Can Imagine, Uncategorized Tagged With: broken, compassion, dog, God, hope, Jesus, Love, outcast, redemption, rejection, rescue, salvation, transformed, true love, unwanted

Plot Twist!

March 14, 2016 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

“Plot twist!” It’s what I yell out in the middle of a chaotic day. It’s what I mutter to myself when I’ve blocked off writing time only to discover my three year old has found a sharpie and is chasing the cat through the house threatening to give him a new fur-do. “Plot twist” is what I choke out with a cringe when I’m scheduled to speak at an event but sense the tell-tale signs of a migraine screaming in to ruin the day. “Plot Read More

Filed Under: Walking with God Tagged With: broken, God meets our needs, life, ministry, perfection, plot twist, unexpected, used by God, weakness, Writing

How Charlotte Elliott Caught My Attention

August 17, 2015 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

It’s been a rough couple of weeks. Maybe it was demands of starting a new home school year. Perhaps it was the accomplishment of several large ministry projects that used up the last of my physical reserves. Maybe it was downward spiral of health issues or even the enemy on the prowl, looking for a way to attack. I don’t know. Whatever the reason, my battery was empty. Crawling out of bed each day took enormous energy. I was in pain and exhausted. To use Read More

Filed Under: Beyond What We Can Imagine Tagged With: broken, Can God use invalids?, Charlotte Elliot, just as I am, obedience, surrender, willingness

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Latest Blog Posts

What’s up with the Christian Cliches?

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Laura Frantz

Engraved on the Heart by Tara Johnson

“Johnson weaves a tale of selflessness, and service . . .” Read more “Laura Frantz”

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Jocelyn Green

Engraved on the Heart by Tara Johnson

“Lovers of Civil War fiction will rejoice to add Engraved on the Heart to their collections.” Read more “Jocelyn Green”

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Robin Lee Hatcher

Engraved on the Heart by Tara Johnson

“Tara Johnson delivers a stirring tale of danger and hope.” Read more “Robin Lee Hatcher”

RITA and Christy Award winner

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Engraved on the Heart by Tara Johnson

“Engraved on the Heart brings Savannah, Georgia, during the Civil War to life.” Read more “Sarah Sundin”

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Meet Tara

Tara JohnsonTara Johnson is a writer, singer, speaker and passionate lover of stories. Tara uses fiction, nonfiction, song and laughter to share her testimony of how God led her into freedom after spending years living shackled to the expectations of others. She lives in central Arkansas with her husband and children.

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