I often wonder how friendships are born. I think about this a lot, actually. Are they part of a greater story, characters who were always meant to be together? Or is it a matter of "right place at the right time?" Are friendships like seeds planted in the soil of our lives, and they grow […]

Once upon a time, I read the book My One Word. If you've been around for my writing, or teaching, or thinking out loud at a dinner party, you may know that book changed my life, revolutionizing the ways that I think about change, growth, and a New Year. As far as longevity and influence […]

You guys. It’s time. I’ve been writing this book for two years, and I finally get to show you. This Book Is For You Loving God’s Words in Your Actual Life Most of us have complicated feelings about the Bible. We don’t understand it. Or we’ve been hurt by people who use it. Or we […]

This little book turns Seven Years Old this week. She's basically a first grader, out in the real world, tying her shoes and reading books on her own. I'd like for you to please notice Tucker, working the line and meeting the people. Now, please notice Tyler, working so hard to work the Sharpie. Peter […]

“Tarbled.” adjective: wind-blown; lacking precision but compensating in charm; messy but cute. ~ ~ ~ "I am a lover of messy people; a tarbled mom of two teenage boys who are likely late to school and wearing mismatched socks; I have been known to absent-mindedly doodle in the margins of overdue library books; I have […]

Today, I said thank you to the Starbucks barista who made my Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, even though she is complicit in my addiction.  I won't press charges as long as she keeps making that goodness that unabashedly defines autumn for my soul. Today, I said thank you to my dad, who gave me a […]

So many new things are happening in these crazy times, you guys. Like the fact that I seem to have become a homeschooling mom who bakes pies and walks several miles a day. It's like that game on Facebook where you're supposed to post a status that makes people think you've been abducted.  Like if […]

In the writing world, your "Platform" is the broad term for "the people who listen to you." The size of your platform matters quite a lot to publishers. After all, if they're going to invest in your writing and give you a contract, they want to know who's waiting in line to buy this book. […]

Strapp held his wife’s hand as he drove, stealing glances at the photograph she held. This was the only picture they had of their son, a photo they received from their social worker. The boy looked to be about six years old, and he had dark skin, darker eyes, and black hair. Strapp and Julie […]

Registrations are open for The Pen and The Page: March 13 - 15, 2020 The Pen and The Page: Writing as Worship The Pen and The Page is carefully crafted for writers of every level to explore writing as a sacred pathway of worship. Whether you’ve written books or simply enjoy scribbling your thoughts, something […]

"Mom, is that what you're wearing?" They are teenagers now - one teen and one almost-teen - and they take great interest or offense in what I am wearing. "This is what I am wearing," I say, side glancing his way as I drop a package of peanut m&m's in my brown bag. "But it's […]

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 […]

"I would do it all again. I wouldn’t have spared myself any of the pain that I have gone through by loving hard, and by loving what death can touch. I wouldn’t change that. I think sometimes we try to protect ourselves from the inevitable, and really, that's where grace is. Grace is in the […]

I love when I get letters like this one: Dear Tricia, Please help. I have a third/fifth/tenth grade kid/daughter/son/niece/nephew/grandson/neighbor, and I think he/she is a writer. I want to support and encourage him/her in this newfound love. What can you suggest to me, other than buying lots of notebooks and pens? Love, A Writer's Cheerleader […]

I have this theory.  It's tested but unproven, and I'll never know if it's true as long as I'm on this side of heaven.  But in all the ways that theories come to be, I believe I hold a solid contention. My theory is this. When you lose someone you love, when they get to […]

I am both horrified and mortified to tell you this, but it is true. I gained ten pounds in Chicago last week. One week.  Ten pounds.  This is not an exaggeration, and it is not even an estimation. It is exact and precise and appalling. Ten pounds. You see, I was in Chicago. And Chicago […]

"Words are things.  I am convinced. You must be careful about the words you use, or the words you allow to be used in your house. In the Old Testament, we are told in Genesis that in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was God, and the Word was with God. That's in […]

The Pen and The Page: Writing Is Worship October 4-6, 2019 Glen Eyrie Castle and Conference Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado Register Here ~ ~ ~ You have asked, you have requested, and I am happy to say YES. I am so excited to make this grand announcement! Once again, I am honored to partner […]

Hands down, this is one of my favorite parts about writing a book: the launch. Writing is a solitary journey for so many hours of so many days that stretch into so many months.  And finally - finally - I get to throw open the doors and make it a group project. But not the annoying kind […]

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 […]