Real Life is Better Than Fiction

Anew Have you ever made a mistake? You don't have to answer; I already know you have. I have. Lots of them. I once stole a pack of gum from the grocery store. Let's just say I was so overridden with guilt it was obvious that the life of a criminal was not in my future.  One of my mistakes - cleaning out the bathroom cabinet with my trowel When I was a child and made mistakes my parents were there to guide or punish or both, whatever fit the situation, but the older I got, the less parent involvement and more God involvement there was/is. When I do things now that are wrong, the Holy Spirit is there to prick my conscience. "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for the who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:10-11). ...

Kinchin This is quickly becoming one of my favorite words this year. It was a word I actually had to look up the definition. It means "a child." It is such an appropriate word for me. I have found myself surrounded by children since I was a child. I had barely graduated from high school when Randy and I were asked to be middle school youth leaders. Since then, we have raised and homeschooled our own three children and worked together with children in various ministries within the church through the years. I have had a constant flow of babysitees through the house, teach at a homeschool co-op, and work in the nursery at church. One of my favorite kid-centered ministries is cooking three meals a day for a week over the summer for our church's youth camp. There is no better way to make friends with teenagers than by feeding them. Doing one of my favorite things for kids with one of my favorite adults. In all honesty, there have been days of working with ...

Truth Have you ever had anyone lie about you? I have. I can be hurtful. I've had co-workers lie about me. I've had people close to me lie about me. I've even been lied about by people I've gone to church with. Shock and surprise were only a couple of emotions I felt. The nicer ones. Admittedly, there was anger as well. And wonder. Why would people lie? I had to take these issues to God in their turn. I could have ranted and raved and attacked those people, but I figured God was a better option. I knew truth was on my side and that God would work out each situation in His time. And He did. Anne of Green Gables is my favorite movie of all time. One scene has Anne in a heart-to-heart with her teacher after yet another fiasco. Her teacher tells her, "The truth shall set you free." While this was a new concept to Anne, it wasn't actually new. It's a verse found in the Bible. John 8:32, "Then you will know the truth and the truth wil...

Laughter Laughter is good for the soul. Studies also show it's good for the heart physically. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" (Proverbs 17:22). What more reason do we need to laugh? When I think of laughter, I can't help but think of the song "I Love to Laugh" from Mary Poppins . You can't help but laugh and sing along! The times I laugh the hardest are when I'm with my sisters. I don't exactly know what it is about them, but they bring the laughter out of me. Maybe it's because they know me better than almost anyone else, and I can let me guard down and be myself. I laugh so hard, I usually have to make a quick trip to the bathroom. My sisters aren't usually too far behind with their own bathroom runs. As we get older, our bladders just aren't what they used to be. We laugh when we stay up past our bedtimes playing silly games with our families. I think one time we laughed the hardest was when we ...

This next year I want to focus on one word each week. I've asked for your help in coming up with words, and so many of you obliged and came up with better words than I ever would have thought up. I'm going to call these my Monday Meditations. Make sure you follow the blog to get automatic updates or check back each week so you don't miss one. I hope you will get to know God and me a little more through these posts that I pray will be spiritually uplifting and fun at the same time. Looking forward to spending 2019 with you!

I am honored to have fellow author, Nike Chillemi visiting with me today. Keep reading to find out more about her and her newest book Courting Danger . Q:   Give us an insight into your main character(s). What does he/she do that is so special? A:   In COURTING DANGER, both Det. Katerina "Kat Andruko and forensic psychologist Dimitri Garmonin have a Slavic background and so do I. This gave me an opportunity to draw from what I know (culture, food, religious attitudes), what I grew up with. Though parts of my psyche are imbedded in each of them, neither of them are me…not even close. They are defined personalities I created. They both share a few very special attitudes and values. Each wants to protect the innocent, find justice for victims, and keep Pelican Beach, Florida (the fictitious city they live in) safe. Q:   How much research do you do? A:   COURTING DANGER is set in northeastern coastal Florida and that's where I live, so I know a great dea...

This 2019 calendar features a Bible verse for each week in creative fonts that can be colored in. A wide variety of holidays are listed, both traditional and unusual. (Do you know when Appreciate a Dragon Day is? How about Lost Sock Memorial Day ?) You’ll have plenty of room to record your activities and appointments in the section for each day and week. After every month, you’ll find word puzzles featuring key words from that month's scriptures and holidays. Prepare for a year full of coloring and fun that will help you hide God's Word in your heart in 2019 without even trying! Click here to buy this 2019 coloring calendar from Amazon now! Now take a look at some sample pages! (In the actual calendar, each page is 8 1/2" x 11".)  Clicking on a picture will open up a PDF of the left-hand page (just the part with the Bible verse, not the calendar week) that you can print and color. Click here to print the coloring page for this verse. ...