This is a season filled with reflection, joy, and love, prompting many to rediscover their faith in God’s promises. We are people who love God, and our hearts have been softened and changed by our faith, but… What if you have a friend who has never met Him yet? In “The Misadventures of Itchy Izzy,”…
A Cup of Water
Do You Have a Hurting Heart This Holiday Season? by Patti Shene Gonzales
November is rushing by faster than a flock of geese winging their way south. Before we know it, we’ll be putting our Thanksgiving turkeys in the oven and decking our halls with Christmas decorations. We are rapidly moving into the time of year when children’s eyes light up with the anticipation of Christmas morning and…
The Reluctant Pioneer by Julie McDonald Zander
The Reluctant Pioneer Inspired by a true story It happened at the Lewis County Historical Museum in Washington State more than a decade ago. I read a small placard about a pioneer mother who crossed the Oregon Trail in 1847 and suffered a sudden tragedy. What did she do, thousands of miles from home,…
Hope for Christmas by Malissa Chapin
I fell in love with the colors, style, and feeling of this cover when I saw it on my cover designer’s page, but I didn’t have a Christmas story in the works. I didn’t buy the artwork, but I worried someone else would buy the cover if I didn’t snap it up. That’s it! I…
Finding Your Identity or Self-Worth by Miriam Thor
In my new novella, A Kringle Family Christmas, the male lead, Jay, struggles with his self-worth. He grew up in foster care and never found his “forever home.” This leaves him feeling like the kid no one wanted, even as an adult. Joining the Navy gave him a place to belong, and he built his…
A Birthday and a Christmas Wedding by Bettie Boswell
About a week ago, I celebrated the birth of my newest Christian children’s book and the fourth birthday of my first novel on November 1st. “On Cue” officially kicked off the start of my fiction writing career. The contemporary Christian romance brought to reality a lifetime dream of becoming a writer of the type of…
Trick or Treat! By Bettie Boswell
What a day to write for this blog. Children will be knocking at your door tonight asking for a trick or treat. If you are like me, you always give a treat. Here’s a treat for your family to share. If you have a young reader in your life, or a young listener, I’d like…
A Change of Heart by Diana Leagh Matthews
“Hurt people hurt people.” The old adage is so true. Years ago, I shared my thoughts on a movie adaptation of my favorite book, but instead of thinking about what I said, I spoke unfiltered and with venom, damaging the friendship. My anger wasn’t toward anyone in particular but part of the hurt I carried…
The Extra Ordinary Christmas by Wade Webster
What’s the first thing you think of when I say Mary, the mother of Jesus? I expect quite a variety of responses. What made her betrothed Joseph so special that God chose him to be Jesus’s stepdad? Why Zachariah and Elizabeth for John’s parents? How about the shepherds? Why did God choose them to be…
5 Ways to Speak Life into a Broken and Hurting World
Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. ~ Proverbs 16:24 So many people need comfort in this dark and lonely world. Social media and the internet attempt to connect us but still loneliness and isolation may become a pandemic that affects all of us in some way. Either you’re…