At the recent Omega writer’s conference, Disney writer Alex Marestaing spoke to us about hearing the whispers of God. Alex told us the story of how he got hired by Disney: he sent them a letter, asking for a job. Just like that. Even more unbelievable is the fact that Disney contacted him a couple […]
Author: Steph Penny
River
This song showed up in a dream one morning. I was asleep at the time, minding my own business, when the words “Give us a river. . .” started singing in the dream. When I awoke, the music stayed with me. The full song was written a few minutes later. When I think of the […]
The quaint and the quirky
“A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men.” – Willy Wonka This quote is, of course, taken from Roald Dahl’s immortal children’s tale, Charlie and the great glass elevator*. I re-read this story recently (yes, I still read childrens’ books) and the above phrase leapt out at me. Perhaps it is […]
Surviving Showers
There are a lot of celebrations designed to congratulate couples. There’s the engagement party, bridal shower, kitchen tea, hen’s night, buck’s night and of course the wedding. Dating couples get Valentine’s Day and married couples get the yearly wedding anniversary. Once kids come along, there’s a whole new plethora of celebrations to be enjoyed. Baby […]
Humility vs. Ego
Was Jesus egotistical? A friend and I were discussing this recently in the context of egotism in the church. It seems that when we speak our minds, particularly in a church or ministry context, we are often accused of being “egotistical”. I find this very interesting. Let us consider for a moment what it means […]
Surviving Singledom: A Testimony
I can hardly believe that I published Surviving Singledom one year ago. How well I remember undoing those boxes and smelling the fresh aroma of new pages wrapped in plastic. I could barely believe they were mine or that I had written every word printed on those pages. I was so excited to take a […]
Jump off the Treadmill
“The internal voice that tells me to hustle can find a to-do list in my living room as easily as it can in an office. . . The hustle will never make you feel the way you want to feel. In that way, it’s a drug, and I fall for the initial rush every time: […]
The Blessings of Burnout?
I’m sick of reading “Good news” stories of burnout, the ones that describe past burnout that is now completely sorted out. Usually these stories are accompanied by some miracle cure or formula that “fixed” the storyteller’s burnout. Good for them. But what about the rest of us? Some of us are burned out today and […]
Lite Milk Christianity (CONTAINS SATIRE)
Let’s settle this upfront: There is no substitute for full-cream milk. It tastes better, it froths better, it keeps you feeling fuller for longer. In every way, full-cream milk is the most rewarding kind of dairy beverage to have in your life. There are those who opt for the lite version of this luscious liquid. […]
Beauty from Pain
During a recent interview for Surviving Childlessness, a childless woman told me about a song that helped her through the most painful time of her childlessness journey. I hope it will help others as I share it today. Beauty from Pain – by Superchick The lights go out all around me One last candle to […]