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In The Crucible
Do your favorite authors live the perfect life? The picture in my mind shows they’ve had a healthy breakfast and walked the dog. They take their coffee to their immaculate study and move into a creative state so potent birdsongs and sunshine burst forth after every word they type. They finish a novel just in time to jog, make a healthy lunch, and talk with friends throughout the afternoon. When their spouse arrives home, dinner somehow appears on the table, and they connect on the couch talking about what they did during the day. A movie or reading by firelight and a good night’s sleep prepare them for the next day’s…
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A New Rhythm
I host a church small group in my home once a week, and this most recent gathering, I was in the spotlight, to give my testimony. Unfortunately, I’d gotten no sleep the night before *classic insomniac here* and was finding it difficult, in my groggy condition, to condense five decades of walking with Christ and my fellow believers on this pilgrim journey. That thought, Pilgrim Journey, gave me an idea. About a decade ago, and for six or seven years, I blogged regularly—several times a month—about my life, relationships, parenting, God—all with an emphasis on my worldview as a believing (although not very traditional) Christian. I pulled out a few…
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God’s Love for the Writer and the Chicken
A chicken had a dream. There would be a day when he spread his wings and soared above the earth. As a middle schooler, I watched a rooster strut around my friend’s farm, pounding his wings. Seeds, dust, and feathers swirled around him. I asked my friend what was up with the crazy rooster. “He’s trying to fly. The idiot doesn’t even crow in the morning. He tries to fly.” I admired the effort. So, when the rooster found himself atop the barn in the clutches of my friend’s little brother, I watched with interest. Little boys do things that are usually explicable, so when the kid flung the rooster…
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Soul Depth: Give Hook A Chance
Shel Silverstein wrote a poem about Captain Hook; two lines are enough to give you the gist. Captain Hook must be gentle When he shakes your hand. Why do things touch us deeply, and how does our soul affect the depth of our writing? Sure, we can picture Captain Hook’s iron claw, a smile plastered across his curl-mustachioed face. His enormous hat bobs and weaves as he approaches. He reaches out to shake our hand. There are deep meanings here. Why shake hands, to begin with? This semi-intimate greeting involves touching a pirate captain and his fingers. Okay, the touch is not so bad itself. A handshake is designed to…
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Why Does God Ask Questions in the Bible?
Why do God and Jesus ask questions? Doesn’t it seem silly? After all, God knows everything.
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Best Christmas Ever!
Creative non-fiction from Lisa Hess... "Outside, shapes started to emerge from the dark and the fog—a frosty white Christmas is a gift in itself—and as I listened to the sound of my family starting to stir, I thought about how happy Jake’s joy made me that Christmas morning. There are few gifts more precious to a parent than seeing your children overtaken by joy. Nothing compares."
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Bottomless Solutions
Sometimes we cling to our ideas or thoughts because we're afraid it’s the best we can come up with.
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God’s Strength is Made Perfect in Weakness
Do you ever wonder how people survive through pain, suffering or trauma? Could you be a catalyst to help them overcome the blocks and limits that seem to keep them stuck?
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Could you imagine losing the Son of God?
I cannot imagine what Mary and Joseph were feeling, especially if they knew that Jesus was the Son of God. I mean, they must have been going out of their minds.
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Your Story Matters
We have a special Monday Meditation today, much longer than our normal writing devotional intended to encourage your faith-walk and writing. This is the Keynote Speech from our 2023 ICW Fall Gathering delivered by IDAhope Writers* founder, Angela Ruth Strong. This morning I paid a dollar to anyone who would tell me a story. Whether that was the first time you’ve ever been paid to tell a story or not, that dollar symbolizes that your story has value. I got to hear a story about the mysterious evacuation of a Goodwill store. And one about a woman whose namesake from the last century shares common similarities that sound like a…
