You say you're not a reader? Readers are made, not born. Like anything else, we learn to do it through practice. You read a lot or you want to read more, but you feel like you need direction? Look to the light of Lit! by Tony Reinke. The title is a clever play on words that intentionally … Continue reading Lit! An elliptical book review
Prayer for All Seasons conference in Pella
The Heidelberg Catechism calls prayer the most important part of thankfulness. Many Reformed church orders list prayer as the primary responsibility of the minister, elder, and deacon. Yet few North American churches participate in corporate prayer as much as Christians in other parts of the world. A conference on “Prayer for All Seasons” at Covenant … Continue reading Prayer for All Seasons conference in Pella
Upheld life, Psalm 54
What problems plague you on this Monday morning? If you live in the Midwest, it's another bitterly cold and fiercely windy day. You can pretty much ignore it if you work inside. But nearly everyone has to drive to work in it and some people, like rural letter carriers and truck drivers, have to drive … Continue reading Upheld life, Psalm 54
Through Matthew’s muddling
Five years ago, a fifth-grader named Matthew entered my life. I ignored him for too many years, but he's been taking center stage lately. This morning I finished him off. Strictly speaking, I didn't finish him off completely. I only finished the second draft of the first manuscript in his series, Matthew Muddles Through. It seems … Continue reading Through Matthew’s muddling
“Not My Own” in Indonesian
Stefanus Kristianto became my Facebook friend when he messaged that he was translating into Indonesian the catechism workbook I wrote, Not My Own: Discovering God's Comfort in the Heidelberg Catechism. Yesterday (January 22) he shared this picture of the cover, posted by Bayu Gunawan. It's easy to figure out which words mean "Heidelberg Catechism" and "God," but I'm … Continue reading “Not My Own” in Indonesian
Resurrecting Matthew
Remember Matthew? Those of you who've been reading my novel for years may recall him. He's the protagonist of a juvenile fiction series I originally began more than five years ago. And it's been more than a year since I mentioned him. Poor Matthew's gone through some serious surgeries and lengthy hospital stays. But he's … Continue reading Resurrecting Matthew
Weaving words
What could be more wonderful for a writer than becoming part of a physical community of writers? I’m doing a happy dance on this wonderful Wednesday because I’ve attended my first meeting of Word Weavers. This remarkable organization provides forums all over the United States (and one in Canada) for Christian writers to critique each other’s … Continue reading Weaving words
Catechism project update
Looking through past issues of Christian Renewal to see what news article I should post today, I realized I should share an exciting update about the Life in Christ catechism curriculum. The series has been so well received that it is going into a second printing. Books have been sold in several other countries and … Continue reading Catechism project update
None Who Does Good, Psalm 53
Most of us tend to think we're pretty good people. After all, we're not criminals or murderers. We're far superior to evil leaders like Hitler or Hussein. Truth is, we're all sinners. The Bible teaches that every person who ever lived and who ever will live, with the exception of Jesus Christ, is a sinner. … Continue reading None Who Does Good, Psalm 53
Creativity and Productivity
At the beginning of a new year, many people implement innovative strategies to increase productivity and meet specific goals. I usually consider ways to make better use of my time, work smarter, and get more accomplished. Like others who work creatively, I struggle with bringing projects to completion. Is it possible to be productive and … Continue reading Creativity and Productivity
Glenda Faye Mathes 