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C is for Curse – A Swan Lake Anthology
I’m thrilled to announce the publishing of my newest short story, “A Swan Alone,” in the book C is for Curse: A Swan Lake Anthology. It’s is on sale, $0.99 for the ebook until October 2nd. Click here to snag it now. It’s also available in paperback. When I decided to take on the Swan Lake retelling, I wasn’t all that familiar with the tale so I immersed myself in it. I spent time trying to understand the characters and unravel the emotional beats. I found a world of magic, love and betrayal that touched my heart. What came out is the story of Evangeline, a lonely girl searching out…
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6′ of Hope
That’s me in the blue sweatshirt, hugging my friend Alison, just a few weeks after they diagnosed her 5 year old daughter with leukemia. Her world has been upside down and social distancing since Christmas. The rest of the world is catching up with the understanding that our germs might harm someone else who can’t handle them. I’m a hugger, and the thought of not hugging people anymore is really making me so sad. I was honestly having a hard time this afternoon and got a little weepy. It made me think about the studies they did with orphan babes and how the ones that had little to no human…
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Book Review: Redeeming Love
“Oh, Lord, why was I so blind? Why couldn’t I hear? Why did it take so much pain for me to see that you have been reaching out to me all along?” Angel, Redeeming Love The book Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers brings the story of redemption to brilliant life. It is full of struggle, heartache, and revelation. It’s a fictional allegory of the minor prophet book of Hosea from the Bible set during the California gold rush. It follows a girl from the devastation of being sold into prostitution at a young age to her rescue by a man named Michael Hosea, and ultimately her salvation by God. Michael’s…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Self-Control Day 5
By the Spirit “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before,…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Self-Control Day 4
Enough is Enough “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Self-Control Day 3
Train the Young “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Gentleness Day 5
Unity in Gentleness “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:1-6 The Spirit loves unity. The Spirit also loves diversity. The next part of…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Gentleness Day 3
Gentle Correction “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:22-26 Doesn’t it sound awesome, that correcting our opponents…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Gentleness Day 2
Perfect Courtesy “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Faithfulness Day 4
Working Faith “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God…