TEN YEARS. This month marks 10 years since my very first book was published. 10 years that I’ve been an actual author. It’s been an unpredictable whirlwind of 8 books, a handful of anthologies, and several hundred articles, stories, and Bible devotions published—what a decade! But why should we take time to celebrate milestones? Isn’t it rather haughty? 🙃 Allow me to share 10 reasons why we should ALL celebrate milestones…

With Easter just around the corner, you may be looking for some gift ideas for the littles in your life… something with a little less sugar a little more substance, perhaps? You know I’m all about BOOKS being the very best gifts for all ages, and my prolific author-friend, Glenys Nellist, has a brand-new padded board book, SNUGGLE TIME EASTER STORIES, which ticks all the boxes and is something a young reader will come back to time and again. Plus, the publisher has given me the opportunity to gift a copy to one of you in my giveaway! 

Because we’re friends 🤗  I’m just going to confess up front that “waiting” is not my strong suit. Patience is not my proficiency. Delay is not my darling. But I think for all of us, the past couple of years has been a tough season of waiting. Waiting for change, for health, for travel, for normality, and the like. And while we may be tempted to throw out hands in the air in utter frustration, perhaps we would benefit more from gently cupping those hands and holding onto the “waiting” with utmost care—like we would a fragile bird’s egg. That “incubation period” of the prolonged pause is precious, full of promise, a time to learn and grow and allow God to work. And this is why waiting matters…

Anyone else adore cookbooks? It’s no secret that I love books in general but there’s something nostalgic and friendly about a good cookbook. It’s like someone pulling up a chair at the kitchen table and saying, “Here, check out these delicious recipes. They’ll warm your heart and soothe your soul.” But what if, like me, you’ve been put on a highly inconvenient diet that puts a damper on much of the deliciousness? That’s where my HEALTHY cookbook stack comes in. Allow me to pull up a chair at the kitchen table for YOU…

How is the start of your New Year shaping up, friend? Personally, I find it helpful to lean into the great unknown of the coming months by focusing on one word. Just one little word to consider, reflect upon, pray over, and claim as my own for the year.  To be honest, I was hoping for a lovely, kind, warm word this year like JOY, PEACE, or DELIGHT. But apparently, my “one word” for 2022 is SURRENDER…

How has your reading life been in 2021, friend? If you’ve been around here for half a minute, you’ll know books are my constant companions and this year has brought a delightful plethora of new books across my lap. And so, as per my tradition, I have selected six sweet reads to share with you from the cream of my literary crop… let’s see if any of them are your cup of tea: 

It’s no secret that I adore Advent. And as we navigate the final month of 2021, I’m dreaming of a LIGHT Christmas. Maybe a white one, too, but as my “one word” for this year is LIGHT, it seems fitting to peer through the shiny distractions of the season and focus on Jesus, the Light of the World!

Am I the only one who thinks books make the very best gifts for all ages? I think not! And with Christmas fast approaching, if you have some littles on your list and would like to add to their mini-library with some meaningful titles, I have done the groundwork (it was no hardship whatsoever for one who adores all things picture books!) and have created a delightful PICTURE BOOK GIFT GUIDE just for you…

Where are my fellow homebodies? It’s that glorious time of year when we bring out the cozy throws and light the pumpkin candles—and my husband and I are celebrating living in our current house for exactly TWENTY years this month. I know. Craziness. As adventurers who emigrated from the UK to Canada with itchy feet, I never thought we would be those people who set their roots down deep. Perhaps we just found our perfect place—but I can’t help wondering, what makes a house a home?

It’s so easy to take familiar comforts for granted, don’t you think? Especially if we’ve always had them at our disposal. Clean water to drink, warm home in winter, coffee in the morning, a closet full of clothes—all the things. And then there’s the Bible. We can own one in every color, translation, language, device, size, or font that our hearts desire. But how easily it is shelved, saved for later, dismissed due to distractions. And then when our lives are shaken and we need hope more than air, we forget where to find it. But it’s sitting there waiting in the Word on our bookshelf, nightstand, device app, brimming with all the hope we will ever need…