A working writer's shelf
Twelve years of essays on marriage, family, faith, and the long road of becoming whole. Start with a shelf, or follow a series.
Six essays that say what the rest is about.
From Romance to Roommates… and Back Again!
Has Your Marriage Atrophied?
Are You Asking the Wrong Questions?
Forgiveness and Reconciliation Are Not the Same Thing
Raising Your Tolerance for Discouragement
What Jonah Teaches Us About Running From God
268 essays
Each one starts at the beginning and keeps going.
The most recent essays, straight through.
Forgiveness and Reconciliation Are Not the Same Thing
Many survivors stay stuck because they think forgiving someone means letting them back in. Forgiveness and reconciliation are two different things.
February 11, 2025 · 4 min read
Why the Road Out of Oz?
Recovery from abuse can feel like being swept into a strange and frightening land. An old, familiar story offers a surprising picture of the road…
October 15, 2024 · 4 min read
You Need Something Better Than Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is a shaky foundation, because it rises and falls with your latest success or failure. There is something steadier to build your identity…
May 7, 2024 · 4 min readRaising Your Tolerance for Discouragement
Everyone has a different tolerance for discouragement. The good news is that yours is not fixed. Three small changes can raise it more than you think.
January 16, 2024 · 4 min read
The Fine Line Between Responsibility and Self-Reliance
Responsibility and self-reliance sound like the same virtue, but they are not. Confusing the two is how strong people quietly drift away from God.
August 22, 2023 · 4 min readWhat Jonah Teaches Us About Running From God
Jonah is not just a story about a big fish. It is a story about what happens when God says yes and we say no, and how His mercy chases us anyway.
April 11, 2023 · 4 min read
Would You Rather Be Right or Be Close?
You can win the argument and still lose the evening. In marriage, the need to be right often crowds out the thing you actually want, which is to be…
January 24, 2023 · 3 min read
2 Chronicles 28: We All Have a Little Something in Us
Most of us have been taught that if we look hard enough we can find the good in anyone, and the warning in everyone.
July 5, 2022 · 1 min readFrom Romance to Roommates… and Back Again!
What happened to us? We used to talk all the time. Here is the way back from feeling like roommates to feeling like partners again.
July 2, 2022 · 1 min read
2 Chronicles 25-27 – Who Are You Full Of?
“Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (Prov. 16:18 NLT) Sometimes (if not most of the time) we’re our own worst enemy…
June 28, 2022 · 2 min read
2 Chronicles 24: Success or Failure?
Joash started so well and finished so poorly. What makes the difference between a life that lasts and one that unravels?
June 21, 2022 · 1 min read
2 Chronicles 23: Bold Decisions and Courageous Actions
Real change usually requires someone willing to make a bold decision and take a courageous action.
June 14, 2022 · 1 min read
2 Chronicles 23 – Bold Decisions and Courageous Actions
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy made a very bold decision to land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth; and to do that before…
June 14, 2022 · 2 min readHas Your Marriage Atrophied?
For couples who love each other but aren't in love with each other anymore, there is real hope.
June 9, 2022 · 1 min read
2 Chronicles 22 – How to Change the Future
There are times in the life of a nation when corruption seems to be the only rule of government. Government leaders seem more loyal to their perks…
June 7, 2022 · 2 min read
A Heartbreaking Anniversary
Less professional, more personal, a reflection on grief, memory, and the God who stays close to the brokenhearted.
June 2, 2022 · 1 min read
2 Chronicles 21: Why Would Someone Do That?!
When we witness real cruelty, the heart cries out: why would someone do that? Scripture doesn't look away from the question.
May 31, 2022 · 1 min readAre You Asking the Wrong Questions?
Sometimes a better life starts with a better question. Here is where to begin.
May 26, 2022 · 1 min read
2 Chronicles 17-20 – How are Your Relationships?
“Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor. 15:33 NLT) This is a principle we tell our teenagers when we dislike the company they’re keeping, but…
May 24, 2022 · 2 min read
2 Chronicles 14-16 – What Happened?!
Every once in a while you come across a story of a former celebrity whose life is in shambles. Maybe they’re in trouble with the law, or they’ve…
May 17, 2022 · 2 min read
The Wrong Way to be Right
I have a grandson who thinks he’s right about everything. Even the things he knows nothing about! No matter what you’re talking about, he typically…
May 12, 2022 · 5 min read
2 Chronicles 13 – The Power of One
The power of change often rests in the power of one. One voice, one word, one song, one story, and one person. These can change the course of lives…
May 10, 2022 · 2 min read
Speak Now or Struggle Later
Often, people in my office tell me about how their spouse said or did something that hurt or offended them. But, when I ask if they said anything to…
May 5, 2022 · 5 min read
2 Chronicles 11-12 – The Fine Line Between Responsibility and Self-Reliance
There’s a fine line between being responsible and being self-reliant. You may think they both sound similar and admirable, but confusing the two can…
May 3, 2022 · 2 min read