Random Thoughts
Next steps: bite-sized means to an end
A few weeks ago while traveling, my daughter texted me after dropping off her rental car. Near tears due to multiple mishaps, she worried about missing her flight home. My momma “fix it” mindset kicked in. But at 780 miles between us, I could only pray. And then I thought about what she needed to…
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Conviction 101: examining the condition of our hearts
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. ~ Proverbs 4:23 Have you ever spoken with someone and then were later haunted by your own words? Not just once, but on instant replay? That happened to me recently after I stopped to visit with a couple in our neighborhood…
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Behaviors that trip us up: rooting out the stumbling blocks
Not long ago as I walked through our property, I tripped on a small tree stump but caught my balance. The next time, I wasn’t as fortunate and pitched forward to brace myself with my left arm—which I’d broken and had repaired two years earlier—then rolled onto my right side. For several weeks afterward, I…
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Blindsided by ‘everything but’ or following your dreams
In my latest subscriber newsletter, I talk about learning #allthings tech and marketing on the business side of writing and—quite honestly—this “old” dog is easily overwhelmed. Yet I can spend a half day trying to establish automated workflows for new subscribers—or contemplate a redesign to my website—before realizing my time to create content or revise…
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What you know + what you’re good at: finding your lane
I’ve read several meanings of the saying, “Stay in your lane,” but my favorite is: find your purpose and stick with what you know and what you’re good at. While “good” is an ideal I continue to strive toward, there have been many signs over the years pointing me toward my purpose—culminating in a contract…
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God ‘winks:’ tiny reminders that we matter
One recent morning, I prepared a travel mug with hot coffee for an hour-long drive into town. But when I reached for the natural sweetener I use, I discovered my supply was depleted. On a whim, I peeked inside my purse and found a stash of my favorite sweetener packets. During another morning, I stepped…
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The ‘fruit’ of our labor: what happens when we give up too soon
A couple weeks ago, we invited our neighbors over for dinner and I tackled a new dessert recipe. I realized that was risky business, especially if it flopped, with the nearest store a minimum of 1½-2 hours roundtrip. Although I encountered a couple glitches, I’m grateful I improvised because it ultimately received raving reviews. I…
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Love as sweet as honey: real-life makes the best stories
My latest five-minute romance—Love as sweet as honey—appears in Woman’s World Aug. 28 issue, available at retailers and online. The story opens when a single mom playing tourist in her hometown meets a handsome stranger over soft-serve—his charming company a reminder of how lonely she often gets—but a business deal might just lead to a…
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Work hard, play hard: refueling our ‘output’ with ‘input’
I don’t think of work as work and play as play. It’s all living. ~ Richard Branson I was in the middle of a major household move, COVID and life in a new community when I wrote and submitted my debut Love Inspired novel (“A Father’s Vow,” April 2024 release) in August 2022—celebrating with a…
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Guilty pleasures: nothing to prove, everything to gain
I heard a story about a woman who was feeling guilty for binge-watching a “stupid” TV show. A friend then asked her if she’d enjoyed herself, to which the woman replied, “I really did.” I’ve contemplated that conversation many times—mostly when I’m engaging in my own “decadent” pastimes, whether reclining on the sofa with a…
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