Finding Joy in the Wait: 3 Gifts Found in the Delay of My Christmas Picture Book by Brenda B. Covert

The crisp winter air tweaks my nose as I admire the glow of my town’s twinkling lights. Everywhere I look, I see Christmas trees, bright-eyed children, and outdoor Nativity scenes. The Christmas season fills me with warmth, like a long-forgotten promise of joy being kept, and my heart races with anticipation. This time of year […]
Decorating, Wrapping … and Writing?

Christmas is NEXT WEEK. It comes every December 25th and yet, it always sneaks up on me. As much as I try to focus on the meaning, I often get caught up in the commercial prep. I look for the perfect gift. I look for the perfect decorations. I look for the perfect cookie recipes. […]
What the Wisemen Can Teach us About the Epilogue

It always bugged me that depictions of Christ’s birth show the wisemen there alongside the shepherds. It just isn’t very accurate. Matthew 2 says that “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea…Magi from the east came to Jerusalem” (emphasis added). While I understand the convenience of placing the wisemen at the climax of the […]
Inspire Me

Sometimes, no matter how many articles or stories you’ve written in the past, there comes a time when you don’t feel very inspired to write. You know you have to write something for a deadline, but you just don’t feel in the write mood (pun intended) to put pen to paper or fingers to the […]
Letters From Father Christmas: The Joy of Storytelling

Join us for a discussion of Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien and the joy of storytelling.
I Have Been Writing for Half of my Life. Here’s What I Learned.

By the time you are reading this blog, I will officially be 30 years old. A lot has happened in the first three decades of my life. Some things haven’t happened as quickly as I wanted to. Others happened before I was ready. But’s that’s another blog for another time. Let’s just say me and […]
Thanksgiving in the Woods and Thanksgiving Memories

Growing up, I loved Thanksgiving. It was one of the few times my extended family got together. And while it wasn’t anywhere close to a Norman Rockwell experience, being together meant so much to my young heart. My aunt usually hosted, and she was a fantastic cook. I looked forward to her feast—she must’ve cooked […]
When Your Writing Becomes a Side Hustle

When did you know that your writing had become more than just a hobby? For me, it was when my mother said these words: “I think you should focus on making money with your writing.” It was after I had pitched her my idea of an AI-generated graphic novel about a recent seminary graduate in […]
When You Know It’s Time to Let Go

This past July I took a trip with my husband, our two daughters, and my mother to visit family in New Mexico. The drive was long (about 16 hours, including getting a nail out of our tire), but it was worth it to see relatives (on my mother’s side) who we haven’t seen in a […]
Listening to Music While Writing

I have a Spotify playlist called “In Case of Emergency, Hit Play.” These aren’t Christian songs for when my heart is in anguish. That’s a different playlist. No, this kind of emergency is strictly a writer’s problem. Whether it is writer’s block, or just a tight deadline I have to meet, this playlist has never […]