We were in those few days after Thanksgiving, when the world seems to take a few days off work to indulge in eating, sleeping, and some very glorious spending. We are all stuffed with turkey and potatoes, we are eating pies for breakfast, and we are putting leftovers on sandwiches we would never dream of […]
"Tricia, how can I stop living in fear? I'm worried that something will happen to the person I love. How can I keep this fear from paralyzing me?" This question, it's so pure, honest, true, and real. How can I keep from being afraid all the time? Here's what I said to this person who […]
Probably one of my favorite people in the Bible is the persistent widow. I can’t wait to meet her. I do realize there’s a chance she’s not a real person since she was a character in one of Jesus’ stories, but still. I like her. In the parable that tells her story, we don’t get […]
Once upon a time, I accidentally attended a Buddhist retreat. It was actually a writer’s retreat, but the instructor was a practicing Buddhist, so the retreat carried some strong Eastern influence. I’m not Buddhist, and some might say it was unwise and even dangerous to subject myself to the practices of a faith so different […]
Sometimes it’s fitting to revisit the best truths. Today seems like a day for the best and the truths. This story is three years old, and it still holds my entire heart. * * * * Tyler learned to ride his bike this week. I thought he already knew how. I thought we did this […]
When I sat down at the table for two - a little smaller than I prefer, even though I was a party of exactly one with a lot of book-related accoutrements - I almost didn't open my Bible. It's part of my morning routine when I am at home, and it's the center (and the […]
Good Friday. It's the day of sadness and loss. If your heart is broken, this day may be far more relatable than Sunday. There are many of you whom I am carrying in my heart, those grieving the loss of a person, a promise, a dream, an idea, a hope. You're the ones left behind […]
I love the smell of gasoline, and I am somehow fond of fresh cigarette smoke. I've always felt like I shouldn't like those, like they are guilty pleasures. But I think both of those scents remind me of different grandparents for different reasons, and that makes me neither guilty nor sorry. It makes me want […]
If you have children who have grown out of car seats but are not yet allowed behind the wheel, let me let you in on the key ingredient for a little dose of freedom on a family camping trip: walkie talkies. Trust me on this. It’s a little space and independence for everybody. What a […]
"Good books (and even some poor ones) can change us to be more like Christ. That deep change is always a work of God, his subversion and transformation. But we either cooperate with it, or not." ~ Mark Buchanan, Spiritual Rhythm
"Hey, Mom," he said, dipping his French fry into ketchup. "At school we were talking about how, on average, men are taller and stronger than women, and they die sooner. So I told them, good, that means we get to see God sooner." "I suppose that's true for some people." We were getting chicken nuggets […]
It's been more than a year since we got this kind of snow in Denver. And it's fun to see how we fall in love all over again with the blanket of white. If this happens every week for the next eight weekends, it will be a different story. But for today, we are a […]
"You did not forget to punish the guilty or listen to the cries of those in need." Psalm 9:12 Those first four words have captured my heart this morning. You did not forget. We are living in a time when something is wrong every single day. Hurricanes. Investigations. Allegations. And this morning, the worst mass shooting […]
A young girl in our community died this week in a tragic and horrifying boating accident. The Andersons are on a family vacation, they went water skiing together as a family, and then their day went horribly wrong. Their anguish has only begun, as they navigate the journey home, now broken in every single way. Their story is […]
I've always loved the story of the paralyzed man whose friends carried him to Jesus. They knew Jesus was in town, and they knew Jesus was the only chance for their friend to walk again. So they carried him to the house where Jesus was preaching, only to find that there were so many throngs […]
I'm honored to have my words featured as a devotional with Proverbs 31 Ministries today. Here's an excerpt of the story they shared today: There’s a legend I love about Ernest Hemingway. Folklore says that he was in a restaurant when someone challenged him to write a story in only six words. If I were a betting girl, […]
I love family movie night. I love the coziness and the blankets and the together of it all. It's one thing I think we do well. Generally. Last weekend, we decided to watch Miracles From Heaven. Because how can you go wrong with Jennifer Garner? It's based on a true story about Anna Beam, a […]
I could write songs and sonnets about my affection for crayons. I’m smitten, and I have been since before kindergarten. There’s a special place in my heart for a new box of crayons. The cleverly named colors, even the waxy smell … the endless possibilities very nearly intoxicate me. The great news for girls like […]
So, I had upwards of 75 books to mail to the Launch Team, a group of readers across America - and even Ireland - who applied for the chance at early access to my new book. Peter and I hauled boxes and boxes into the post office, one of my least favorite places in the […]
