motivation | encouragement | support
Five stars for Hail Marry by Martha Keyes! What a wonderful, feel-good story! I enjoyed it from start to finish, and I’m eager to share it with you. This is book four in Martha Keyes’ sweet romantic comedy series Sheppards in Love. Each book features a different Sheppard family sibling, and you really grow to … Read more
The dictionary defines compassion as a sympathetic awareness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. I often pair compassion with the idea of lovingkindness, which refers to tender and benevolent affection. Moreover, compassion and mercy are often linked together, as in the spiritual gift. These ideas resonate with me! My word of … Read more
My daughter and aunt have both experimented with various olive oil cakes, so I thought it would be fun to give it a try. A friend’s daughter made us an amazing ricotta cake a while back, so I attempted to combine all these ideas into one cake, and this is the result. This orange ricotta … Read more
Welcoming prayer is one of several different types of contemplative prayer practices. It focuses on intentionally accepting–welcoming–your experiences and turning them over to God. Let’s dive into this contentment-building practice and see what it’s all about! What is welcoming prayer? Some contemplative prayer practices have been around a really long time, but welcoming prayer began … Read more
Captivating. Compelling. At times horrifying. Overwhelming. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is an excellent book. My sister-in-law calls it “goosebump good.” I love historical fiction, especially if it’s set during World War II, and this book is a riveting tale highlighting the role of forgery in the war. Although I won’t delve … Read more
My word of the year is CULTIVATE. I chose this word because it conveys the idea of intentional growth. Nurturing. Fostering. Encouraging. It’s also a versatile word, because there are many different qualities I would like to cultivate. Be watching for future posts around this idea. For now, let’s focus on how to cultivate authenticity. … Read more
Author Kristin Harmel is a powerhouse storyteller and a global sensation! She’s the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 international bestselling author behind The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and more than a dozen other beloved novels translated into over 30 languages and adored worldwide. Kristin’s professional … Read more
My son and I went on a fabulous trip to Seoul after he completed his master’s degree in computer science. We’ve typically offered our kids trips as graduation presents, and this was his pick. Just he and I went, and it was a really wonderful experience. Let’s look at a little background information about Seoul, … Read more
Hospitality is the practice of graciously receiving someone. Being friendly, open, and welcoming to guests, visitors, and strangers. The spiritual gift of hospitality is a special ability to warmly welcome and share care and concern for others, particularly those in need. It is a gift of God through the Holy Spirit for building and serving … Read more
Oprah’s Book Club is a long-running book discussion group created by Oprah Winfrey. It began in 1996 as part of her talk show and became a cultural phenomenon, helping to catapult many books to bestseller status. Oprah selects books that resonate with her personally, often focusing on themes like self-discovery, resilience, and complex relationships. Let’s … Read more