Tools of the Trade: Resource Recommendations

Honestly, this is hard to do.  I have so many favorites resources.  But I'm going to narrow it down to just a few suggestions in several categories. Bibles: I love my New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible for devotional reading. I use the English Standard Version for most of my writing and study. {Which you can get free for Kindle or Kindle apps!} My favorite study Bible is the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible. Devotions: Jesus Calling Streams in the Desert Study Tools ... [Read More]

Memorize, Meditate, and Meander: Storing Up God’s Word

Stockpiling.   When I was growing up in a small town in Oklahoma, I can remember a few people who "stockpilers."  They collected water and canned food along with batteries and flashlights and stored it all in their fallout shelters where they'd be safe in case of a nuclear attack. My daughter has never had a nuclear attack drill in her school and knows little, if anything, about the Cold War.  Today stockpiling is mostly a term used in reference to couponing.  But maybe it's time we did some ... [Read More]

10 Tips for a Great Quiet Time

{FYI ... you may also want to check out 10 (more) tips for a great quiet time.} A great quiet time. We all want one. We all know we need one. The problem is ... we live in this fallen, broken, messy, busy world.   Carving out the time is hard enough.  But figuring out what to do when we have it ... that's an even bigger challenge. Bible in 90 Days, Bible in a Year, the latest study by Priscilla Shirer or Kay Arthur, classic devotions like My Utmost for His Highest or Streams in ... [Read More]

Devotions, Quiet Time, Personal Bible Study. Is It Really Necessary?

Many of us began the New Year with a renewed desire to spend time growing in the Lord.   The problem is ... we don't always know what that means or how to do it.   So we do what we heard all the super spiritual people do and commit to reading the whole Bible in a year and taking notes about all we learn along the way.   We choose a one-year reading plan and jump from Genesis to Psalms to Proverbs and finally to Matthew ... and within a few a few days our enthusiasm wanes and our exhaustion ... [Read More]

10 Tips for a Meaningful Christmas

Christmas is less than a week away.  Based on the Facebook status updates racing through my feed, the theme of these last few days is RUSH. Rush to buy. Rush to wrap. Rush to bake. Rush to give. Rush to clean. Rush to pack. Rush to go. Rush. It's hard to find meaningful when you are rushing.  {Honestly, it's hard to find the car keys in the midst of the rush!}  Somehow Advent - the season of anticipation - has become Accelerate - the season of too many irons in the fire. Perhaps, Dr. ... [Read More]

Yes, It Really Does Matter Where You Shop!

A few weeks ago we were in Charleston and I wanted one of those gorgeous handwoven seagrass baskets from The Market.   But since the teensy ones were around $25, I did not purchase one.   I did however, purchase this one from the store at Hyman's Seafood. Made in Vietnam, this basket looks very similar to the ones available at The Market ... but only cost me $12.  It's perfect for holding all my stationery.   I also bought this etched stone {from India} for only $4.  Both of these items, as ... [Read More]