I remember one particular Christmas when I was a kid. I was probably about eleven, and I was obsessed with a book called My Side of the Mountain. It was about a city kid who got disillusioned by the crowds and noise and he ran away to the wilderness. And he survived by learning how […]
How Much Is Too Much?
Someone recently asked me about how much is too much Jesus in their Christian fiction book. It’s a legitimate question, and it’s one I’ve heard before, too. I have a couple of super simple answers, too, but it sort of depends on who I’m talking to. Not everyone gets my sense of humor. Answer A: […]
A Love That Transforms
As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34b, ESV) What does it mean to love as Jesus loves? Love is transformative. Whether a person knows Christ or not, love can change the life and world of any given person. When a person does know Christ, though? Love is something different […]
The TRUE Meaning of Christmas
Confession: Until this year, I’ve never watched Hallmark Christmas movies at Christmas time. Not for lack of desire–we’re just cheap and don’t have cable. (A little antenna outside gets us a few local channels, but that’s it.) But this year, I decided to splurge. We have a new “smart” TV that has SLING on it, […]
In the Temple, Part III
by: Staci Stallings First let us look at the actual Scripture for our discussion about Mary and Joseph finding Jesus in the Temple (from Luke 2:41-50): [41] Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. [42] When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to […]
In the Temple, Part II
by: Staci Stallings In the first part of “In the Temple,” we looked at how Mary and Joseph lost Jesus after the Passover Feast, and it took them three days to find Him. When they did, they found Him in the Temple, listening, asking, and even doing a little teaching. Mary was angry and said, […]
In the Temple, Part I
by: Staci Stallings There are certain stories in the Bible that I’ve heard all of my life, and for some unknown reason I don’t “get it” for a long time. Then suddenly new insight breaks through, and WOW! I’ll never read or hear that story the same way again. One of those stories is the […]
November – Are YOU Ready for Christmas?
I’ll be honest and say I’m not. I never am at this point, though this year I think I’m almost ready for it to be over. Don’t get me wrong. I love Jesus. And I love celebrating His birth. I DON’T love seeing Christmas decorations for four months. I refuse to put the tree up before […]
DEDICATION
[ded-i-key-shuh n] noun a formal, printed inscription in a book, piece of music, etc., dedicating it to a person, cause, or the like. I love reading dedications in the front of books, to discover who the writer found worthy of those few special words that readers see first. Each of my published or contracted […]
A Princess and Her Gown Pt. 5
When I began this series, I envisioned three, maybe four scenes. But stories–as does life!–have a way of growing insanely complicated. Quick. Add in a angry hurt father, a worried and distraught mother, and a love-sick yet disappointed bride, and well… Last we left, Elsie’s mother Sharon had just mustered the nerve to talk to […]