April 27 – National Tell a Story Day

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Tuesday, April 27 is National Tell a Story Day. Listeners, readers, and writers share a bond—we love a wonderful story. For centuries we’ve been thrilled with character and plot in a world that is often different from our own. Our imaginations explode when stories come to life. Stories help us see a reflection of ourselves. Since …

What Do Plants and People have in Common?

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Spring is the time of year when many people connect with plants. The temperatures are warmer; the earth is thawing, and the color green offers hope. Nurturing and coaxing tender shoots is a lot like nurturing and coaxing people to fulfill their God-given purpose and offer their gifts to a hurting world. We can’t force plants …

April 13 – National Scrabble Day

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills I’m sure you find it no surprise that a writer celebrates National Scrabble Day. With gusto! Writers live and breathe words, and that means our favorite games focus on those gems that form the alphabet. According to Wikipedia, “Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing …

Expect an Adventure with God Devotional

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills What do we expect in an adventure with God? I like the idea of fun, laughter, peace, good health, and simply no worries. While those times are blessings, we also have moments in our lives when we need to take a deep breath and focus on God. Challenges may be painful but they can also strengthen …

What Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self?

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A few weeks ago I posted this question on Facebook: What is one bit of advice you’d give to your younger self? The variety of responses caused me to think, agree, reflect, and some answers caused me to laugh. All were outstanding, and I want to share some of these with you. I’m not including the …

Spring Cleaning Your Heart

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills The first day of spring sailed into the calendar on Saturday, March 20th.  While many parts of the country are still digging out from under the snow, many of us are contemplating spring cleaning . . . the time of year when we take on the task of cleaning every inch of our home, attic, garage …

The Point of Purpose & Legacy

DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A Guest Blog Post from Eva Marie Everson – Eva Marie Everson Recently, my husband and I took a trip to the beach . . . a three-day getaway forty-five minutes from home. We needed time to breathe. To not worry about laundry and cooking and work and life. We wanted to walk the beach as often as …

The Blue Ridge Reader Connections

DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A Guest Blog Post from Debb Hackett @Debb_Hackett Early into my radio career, the station staff would gather for weekly prayers in the conference room. After my shyness at being the newbie ran out, I mustered the courage to ask my boss what all the books were that decorated the window ledges in haphazard piles. You see, they’d …

Fifteen Ways to Serve Others During the Pandemic

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnn Mills During the past year of the COVID pandemic, serving others has required innovative thinking. The challenge to assist those affected by illness, loss of a job, mental stress, family dysfunction, abandonment, and other tragedies doesn’t mean the person needs to suffer alone. If you are one who longs to serve others, but the restraints of …

4 Strategies for Overcoming Life’s Obstacles

By DiAnn Mills @diannmills Guest Post by Kristen Hogrefe Parnell @KHogrefeParnell When my now-husband James and I were dating, he helped me purchase my first mountain bike. I knew he loved off-road biking and that this investment would give us hours of quality time together. Going on three years now, I’ve been riding my Cannondale with him, and he’s been …