September 13 I sometimes forget what it was like to go into Aldi without a mask, or to hug people and shake their hands and not apologize. I sometimes feel like the pandemic always was, is, and will be. But the only One to ever wear that title is Jesus. “I am the Alpha and … Continue reading Yesterday and Today and Forever
September 6 My family was supposed to be in Nashville last week, taking part in the Getty Sing! conference. We were supposed to be in the pews of the Ryman Auditorium, drinking in Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God concert and worshiping Jesus with people of different tongues and nations. Instead, we watched it … Continue reading I Wanted to be There
This article was written for and published on StoryWarren.com. Samwise had climbed too many stairs with Shagrat drooling on his heels. He’d blasted through Cirith Ungol’s gates with Galadriel’s light. He’d searched every black corner for Frodo, and now, his master was a tower trapdoor out of reach. So Sam sang nursery rhymes into Mordor. … Continue reading The Song that was Sharper than Sting
"One morning long ago in the quiet of the world, when there was less noise and more green..." - The Hobbit "Magic in the Moment" by The Gray Havens My writing mentee's smile Cloud piles Wind in the garden A pear off the tree People who write notes, leave comments, say things that uplift Pink … Continue reading august ttmmh
August 23 We were made for another world and until Jesus returns, we can’t help but ache for it. C.S. Lewis called that longing sehnsucht (and I write a lot about it). But there’s another part of us that longs for this world, and it’s why James had to write: What causes quarrels and what … Continue reading The Opposite of Sehnsucht
August 16 The start of a schoolyear has always been my favorite time to readjust old writing habits and invest in something that will sharpen me. I've taken classes, joined communities, read books, and attended seminars. But there are two writing resources I come back to again and again. These classes and communities have sharpened … Continue reading My Very Favorite Writing Resources
Have you ever tried to fit some of the ocean into your hand? How about all of it? Can you measure the sky in miles? Can you weigh the Rocky Mountains? Could you even put the Ozark hills on a scale? Do you tell God’s Spirit where to go or what to do? Does God … Continue reading I’m Glad I Can’t Hold the Ocean
Good writers are good pruners. They know when to pick up the shears and how much to chop. William Zinsser taught me that. “Be grateful for everything you can throw away. Reexamine every word you put on paper. Is every word doing new work? …Is anything pompous or pretentious or faddish? Are you hanging onto … Continue reading On Writing, Weeding, and Walking in the Light
August 2 Before he was betrayed and driven to the cross, Jesus spent time praying for you. “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” “Holy Father, keep them in your name…” “While I was with them, I kept … Continue reading Be Encouraged: You Are Kept
A few good, good things from this month... Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I enjoyed this classic more than I thought I could. Austen's characters pulled me in and kept me turning pages of this story. Especially Elizabeth Bennett. Have you read it? Let's talk more in the comments below. (I listened to the … Continue reading July Smiles
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