"Plod. Don't Sprint. Be fruitful like a tree, not efficient like a machine." -Douglas Wilson Reader, Plodding is a good word. It refers to slow, steady, and deliberate effort, often with difficulty and lack of excitement. If plodding is the tortoise, sprinting is the hare. Plodding, although effective, is not sexy. It’s like running a race. There’s excitement at the beginning and end, but thousands of unseen steps must happen in the middle, often without fanfare. My first book, The Pursuit of...
22 days ago • 3 min read
Our Sale Ends Tomorrow! This is your last chance to join the Writers' Bloc at our special 2nd Anniversary price. We're offering our Premium Membership at the lowest price EVER, and we want you to take advantage! For only $14/month, you can enjoy FULL access to the Bloc. Our Premium Members enjoy Weekly in-person access to teaching and archives Peer-editing and editorial feedback Weekly writing tips Opportunities for collaborations Exclusive discounts on courses, mentorships, challenges...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Happy Birthday to Us! Friends and Fans of the Writers’ Bloc, The Writers’ Bloc is an online community for Christian women who want to grow in the art and heart of writing. And we have exciting news! Now that we're officially a toddler, we want to celebrate by opening enrollment and offering a MASSIVE sale for our Premium Membership! We've never offered our membership this low, so this is a don't get FOMO moment. Our Premium Members enjoy Weekly in-person access to teaching and archives...
3 months ago • 1 min read
My top 10 posts for 2024 and an update Reader, I know it sounds cliche, but how can we be in 2025? Today begins the first whole week of the year, but I hope it's not too late to do a review of the year past. In David Letterman's style, I like to compile the Top 10 articles of the previous year. It's a walk down memory lane for me, and hopefully, it refreshes your heart, too. Inside, you'll find a lot from 1 Peter, a little from politics, and even a celebrity sighting. Now for an update......
4 months ago • 2 min read
The darker side of Christmas? My family and I love to look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. We drive around town and ooh and ahh at the beautiful displays. But why don't we look at the lights during the day? Because we need the darkness to appreciate the light. The same is true when we consider the light that Christmas brings into the world. Jesus' birth is the blazing center of our celebrations. We rejoice that the light of the world was born in a humble stable! But on the backside of...
4 months ago • 1 min read
How do you think about suffering? This week, I was privileged to teach from 1 Peter at a women's Bible study at my church, and I wanted to share some of those thoughts with you. The apostle Peter told his first-century readers, who were suffering terrible persecution, to follow Jesus' example in suffering. As Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the grave victorious, we will join him in glory and someday cease sinning. What a glorious day that will be! But to enjoy that victory, we have to...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Prepare your heart, and make him room with these gifts! Hey Reader, It's hard to believe, but Christmas is right around the corner. It's my favorite holiday and season, but it sometimes takes me a while to get into the Christmas spirit. Do you feel that tension, too? We're all gearing up to get our to-do lists, and shopping lists done, and even in those good things, we can lose sight of the reason for the season. We want to steward our time, talent, and treasures, wisely, and we want to...
5 months ago • 1 min read
The most powerful words... When Patrick Henry gave his famous "Liberty or Death" speech, he prefaced it by saying, "Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense?" He concluded that to do so would make him treasonous to his country and disloyal to God. I feel a similar hesitation and resolve as I share this post. Like you, I've been trying to think critically and biblically this election season as I've watched the news unfold. I want my opinions (and vote) to...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hope fully, not hopefully... When we think of fighting spiritual battles, we probably think of putting on the armor of God---as we should. But often, the battle is won or lost before we've suited up because we're not thinking about it properly. Peter, writing to elect exiles away from their homes and suffering hardship and persecution, reminded them to prepare their minds, be sober-minded, and set their hope fully on grace. No matter what trials you're enduring right now, you need to set your...
8 months ago • 2 min read