Welcome! Introducing the Family You’ll be Reading About..
Want to learn more about the Ellis family who are frequent subjects in my writing? Get a quick summary of each so you’ll feel like you’re one of the family.
Read, Laugh, Ponder, Learn, Share, Comment
Wedding Prayer Journals Thirty Years Apart
My son’s fianćee and I have similar stories, although they take place thirty years apart. Both involve wedding ideas, prayer journals, dependency on God, unexpected provisions, and a whole lot of faith-building. I thought of our stories today as I was reading in Mark 6:7-12. Jesus sends out the 12 disciples and instructs them to take nothing…
Two Ways my Sixteen Year Old Encouraged Me to Keep Going
My daughter Laura just returned from five months in Brazil. A week before returning home she turned 16. She had two main items of fun to immediately tend to that were top on her list. Get her driver’s license and go to Universal Studios to see their new attraction, Harry Potter World. She was disappointed…
Turnaround of the Heart
Turnaround of the Heart Can we boldly declare our despair to God? Does the Bible give us examples of what to do with negative human feelings and emotions such as anger, fear, frustration, anxiety, depression, desire to retaliate, bewilderment, guilt, and doubt? Yes and yes. Psalm is chock full of hurting men who desperately cry out directly to God, expressing their…
The Load Bearing Column
Picture a large, beautiful southern plantation home with massive columns on the huge front porch. One, or at most a few, of these are LOAD-BEARING COLUMNS. The others are, well…. decorative,… and therefore, have no bearing on the sustainability and power of the structure as carrying the weight. The analogy is this: The load-bearing column is…
The cancer journey. In my son’s own words.
He wouldn’t have chosen this journey of cancer, but he’s thankful for it. My 22 year-old son shares his thoughts in the #danielkickscancer journey, after completing six months of chemo and beginning 20 rounds of proton therapy. Thank you for praying for him. I present to you, his Facebook post, some photos, a thought-provoking question, and a great video…
State of the Union. Sibling Unity.
This series is intended to help you think through and plan for your family’s priorities for this school year. My desire is for you to parent with purpose, vision, goals…to truly know the priorities for your family after seeking God first. Today I’m sharing with you about beautiful interaction that can take place between your siblings. When…
Selfie-Worthy
I think this photo is selfie-worthy. Just a little humor for you today – at my expense – as I ponder on what self-worth looks like to God.
Remembering 9-11
We are all remembering 9-11 and where we were when the attacks happened. Today, I share a personal glimpse into my family photo album.
Psalms: “Turnaround of the Heart”
I’ve spent several years, sloooooowly ENGAGING the Psalms. I used the word engaging on purpose to better describe that I was not just merely reading; I was diggin’ in to this rich book of the Bible. I was INTENTIONALLY looking for the characteristics of God. I was also asking “Just WHY is THIS particular Psalm…