Posts

Showing posts from August, 2025

Missed flights, road trip, and God's provision--CMW Writer's retreat

Image
  A couple of weeks ago I returned from a fabulous time with some of my favorite people at the Christian Mommy Writer's retreat! We have around 100 of us scattered around the world, though we're primarily in the USA, and it's such an amazing group of authors who are navigating juggling family life, serving the Lord, and glorifying Him in our writing. Many of the books I review and recommend are by these amazing ladies. At the retreat we had classes where we heard from a number of different authors who spoke on our writing craft, marketing, and balancing all of our jobs. One of the most special times we had each day was our morning devotional and worship time. We also spent plenty of time catching up in person on life and writing, sharing ideas, and of course writing. As ladies love to do, we had a Gala evening where we all dressed up, went out for dinner, presented awards, and celebrated our writing journey.  As for the title of this post, the travel to and from this event ...

FOS 13 Self Control (and the end of Gentleness)

Image
James 3:13-18 ESV - Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle , open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits , impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Meekness has overlapping meaning with gentleness, so in this James passage we see gentle used two different ways. Each way comes from a different Greek word in the original scripture and in this translation they are translated as meekness and gentleness. Let’s look at those definitions before we examine the passage. In verse 3:13 the word meek...