By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Christmas is a time of love and giving of the heart. We want our loved ones to have the perfect gift they will remember and treasure. We also want to include the less fortunate, those people we may never meet. The truth is we don’t always have the money to purchase what we think is the …
What are You Afraid of?
Guy Gourley @DiAnnMills My guest blogger today is Guy Gourley, a good friend, and excellent writer. Recently, I was sitting with my writing coach, DiAnn Mills at a local Panera as she sipped on her third cup of black java. We were going over my novel, which has taken years to complete. No wonder she needed that much caffeine. Thankfully, …
Finding Soul Care Through Creative Expression
By Edie Melson @DiAnnMills This week’s blog post is by my dear friend and writer Edie Melson @EdieMelson I’ve been where you are—weary and ready for relief. Some months that seems to be a place where I live. I provided support for my mother while she cared for my father during the last years of his life. That meant hours …
Authenticity—A Crack or a Patch in Our Personal Character?
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Are you authentic? Are you without a doubt genuine, reliable, trustworthy, and dependable? No cracks in your plaster? Known for your honesty? Faithful? Real? We’d all like to check the “yes” box for all those noble traits, but sometimes living up to authenticity isn’t easy. Through experience, we acquire the characteristics that earn us respect and …
Food for Praise
By Rhonda Rhea @DiAnnMills This week’s post is from a writer-speaker friend, Rhonda Rhea Kids have super weird yet extremely discriminating palates. I know this to be true. I raised five of them. I’m telling you, I remember toddlers completely snubbing dinner, then half an hour later eating a dirt clod and washing it down with bath water. It’s not …
Healing From Life’s Scratches
By Julie Garmon @DiAnnMills This week’s blog post is from Julie Garmon, a long-time friend and great writer. For months I pretended not to notice, but last week there was no denying it. As I vacuumed the den, the late afternoon sun poured through the windows, highlighting the scratches in our pine floors. Our floors had been through hard times. Life …
Strong Women in Fiction
By Katie Briggs @DiAnnMills This week’s blog post is written by Katie Briggs Think of your top ten favorite characters in literature and cinema. How many are women? If you’re like me, your number of leading men outweighs your favorite ladies. Even worse, you might also be a writer and find female characters difficult to create! So, I asked my …
10 Ways to Make Sure Your Thanksgiving is a Blessing
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Thanksgiving is the holiday intended for us to give thanks for God’s many blessings. Through traditional feasts of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and family favorites, we celebrate the past year with loved ones. While the intent is to think outside ourselves, 2017 may have been a tough year for you. Let me encourage you …
Dispensers of Love
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Dispensers of love come from all walks of life. Hurricane Harvey dumped 50 inches of rain on the millions of people of the Gulf Coast. Reports as of this writing state the devastation has impacted approximately 145,000 homes and an estimated 60 people have lost their lives. While driving just beyond my neighborhood, the mounds of …
Managing Grief
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Last Monday, we buried my mother. She was almost 86 and in declining health. Near the end, she slipped into a coma and died peacefully. She’s buried beside Dad, and together they’re catching up in heaven. When I received the call of Mother’s death, I was numb. I realized grief is . . . A nagging …