What if the gospel is more like Halloween than Christmas? If you grew up hearing that Halloween was the celebration of evil, you might feel as shocked as I did when the question was posed to me. When I considered how the two holidays might relate to the gospel, the thought of Halloween being a … [Read more...] about The Gospel According to… Halloween?
Books
Recommended Reads for 2020
Two year ago, I scribbled a sloppy list of books to read. Amazingly, it’s still on my desk. Titles have been added and checked off (and a few random phone numbers languish in the margins). The biggest challenge has been deciding what to read next. Audible and Overdrive (both audiobook platforms) … [Read more...] about Recommended Reads for 2020
How I Learned about “Murder, Motherhood & Miraculous Grace”
It’s always risky to share a hotel room with a stranger. Some would call it crazy. But I did it anyway. Lest you think I’m completely out of my mind, the risk was mitigated by the fact that my roommate and I were both women attending a Christian Writers conference in Estes Park, Colorado. By the … [Read more...] about How I Learned about “Murder, Motherhood & Miraculous Grace”
Is Hope Steadfast or Slippery?
Please enjoy this excerpt from the introduction of Remarkable Hope: When Jesus Revived Hope in Disappointed People. Steadfast Hope Hope. We use the word every day. I hope it doesn’t rain. I hope you feel better. I hope I get to sleep in. With the best … [Read more...] about Is Hope Steadfast or Slippery?
Hope for this Life
Thomas Chisholm was not a formally educated man. But in 1941 he wrote in a letter, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God … [Read more...] about Hope for this Life
What to do when you’re not “joyful in hope”
When I wrote my first book, Remarkable Faith, I felt like I had made a pioneer discovery. I saw a pattern in the gospels that demonstrated a biblical truth, and I wanted to share it with everyone. Like a child wide-eyed over a fossil dug from a backyard sandbox, the matter of faith as dependence … [Read more...] about What to do when you’re not “joyful in hope”