The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9 NLT To me, heartfelt counsel is wise, direct, and given with the intention of helping, not hurting or manipulating. It is spoken from the heart, from love, and in truth. Sometimes, the counsel is the …
Recent Blog Posts
Discipline Can Be Painful
One of the scriptures I pray and meditate on every morning is Hebrews 13:21(NLT). May he equip you with all you need?for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ,?every good thing that is pleasing to him.?All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. He …
The Test of Praise
No matter our line of work or ministry, we’ve all been criticized and received feedback. Sometimes it’s an annual employment evaluation. Sometimes, we’re criticized for something we did or didn’t do, either on the job or in our church or around the house. We’re human and we’re going to mess …
God’s Perfect Timing
It’s not often one of life’s most embarrassing moments can also be part of one of life’s most exciting moments. Several years ago, early in our marriage, my wife, Linda, and I had two sons, Sean and Scott. And I thought we were pretty well set. I was working as …
Thankfulness
As Thanksgiving approaches this year—and with it our 45th anniversary. Yes, we were married on Thanksgiving Day. Someone once described our wedding as I got a bride and my wife got a turkey. But I digress. This life has been a series of adventures. Some wonderful. Some horrible. But God …
Being True with My Characters
How do we avoid making our characters stereotypes? Begin by making them real people in their own right. Make them unique, not copies of me, not copies of characters I see in movies, television or other books. Give them different belief systems and values from mine, different outlooks on life, …
My Example of Dedication and Perseverance
In this writing journey, I’ve been blessed with some wonderful writing friends and partners. They’ve helped me grow and I’d like to think I’ve helped them. And a few have been an inspiration for me. One in particular. I’ve watched this young woman, Amelia Grimstad, over several …
Reflections
Just over three years ago, my life took an exciting turn when the Lord opened the door for me to step into writing full time. It’s been a time of highs and lows I didn’t anticipate. Well, I knew there’d be highs and lows. I didn’t anticipate the heights …
Take the Plunge
We all know there are times when we need to step away from our daily work. We need to have periods of rest from the chores and the grind of daily life, the normal activities that wear us down physically and mentally, emotionally and spiritually. For many of us that …
Ambassador of Hope
My blog this week is a link to a speech I was privileged to present to the Write Well, Sell Well Conference in Oklahoma City on September 21st. It talks about my writing journey and, hopefully, offers encouragement and inspiration to my fellow writers. Enjoy. I look forward to hearing …