The Blog
of grace & gumption
I talked to my best friend the other day who started using my Guilt-Free Bible Reading Plan (GFBRP) a few months ago. I asked how it was going and she said, “It’s going really well, but I have a confession. I haven’t followed it exactly as it’s laid out.” So now,...
The new year is just days away, so if you’re like me, you’re wondering how you can make 2015 better than 2014. But when I set goals for myself, I’m always very careful to let the Lord guide me. After all, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s...
You may work in the church nursery on Sunday mornings. You may direct traffic. Perhaps you spend the morning with your hand stuck up the back side of a puppet trying to teach 1st graders about the Good Samaritan. But whether you’re in charge of attendance in your...
Dear Perfect, I know we’ve been together for awhile, but the truth is, I’ve been unfaithful to you for quite some time. It’s not that I didn’t want things to work out between us; I really did! At the beginning of our relationship, I truly thought we’d be together...
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in the middle of my white, wrought iron daybed with the mauve comforter thrown haphazardly over the sheets. And I was crying my eyes out. I’ve heard Oprah call it “the ugly cry,” and that’s what it was. Eyes swollen....
Several months ago, I completely re-engineered my Bible reading plan. One of the changes I implemented is that instead of just reading my Bible, I started listening to it as well. I have the YouVersion app installed on my Kindle, so whenever it’s time to read, I pull...
School begins today, and I'm officially the mom of a 2nd grader and a Kindergartner! We had a fantastic summer, and I'm sad to see it end. Aside from going on a glorious family road trip, I also learned how to rock my morning quiet times! Seriously, even with my kids...
A few years ago, after returning from a 15-day, three-destination, 3,100-mile road trip, I spent an afternoon with the Lord and my journal reliving the evidence of His power and majesty that were evident daily on our vacation. [Photo: Garden of the Gods, Colorado...
The other day, I stumbled upon this verse by Paul: "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant" (Gal. 1:10 NLT). You know what word popped out at me the most? The word,...
Basically, my husband and I have gone insane. For months, we planned to spend our summer vacation at my family's lake house on Lake Livingston. One week. Close to home. No frills. Relaxing fun. But somehow over the past few weeks, that plan has changed to: Two weeks....
Any time an email begins with, "My cousin gave me a copy of your book while we were at a funeral," I know I have to keep reading. Is that a "thing" now, I wondered, and imagined pews of mourners passing down tissues and copies of my books during "I'll Fly Away." No,...
For several years now, my church has a tradition of celebrating July 4th at the cross on our campus with a huge picnic / baptism / concert / fireworks extravaganza. Thousands of people bring blankets, lawn chairs, wagons, umbrellas, food and cans of OFF for a...