Quotes and Scripture for 2021

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills The New Year causes us to take a deep breath, learn from history, and move forward with strength and courage. Quotes and Scripture often give us a push to reach out as brave and optimistic inhabitants of earth. One or more of the 15 words to live by below could help you journey through the days …

13 Things NOT To Do When You’re Exhausted

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Last week, Edie Melson and I directed the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. We are exhausted. Not sure either of us could spell it. We compiled a list of 13 things NOT to do when you’re tired and need down time. With the holidays at our front door, we know all of you will be …

Come Full Circle

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Guest Post by Jayme Mansfield  @JaymeMansfield There’s something special about a circle. Somewhere along the curved line, there is a definitive beginning – a starting point from which the path begins and eventually an end point at which it is complete. And, so it is with life. Recently, my family and I moved my eighty-five-year-old mother …

Sheltered in the Rock

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Guest Post by Darlene L. Turner @DarleneLTurner Badge positioned himself on an elevated rock, senses on high alert. He breathed in trying to catch a scent of anything threatening his kin. Since his second birthday, his mother said he had a responsibility to protect the others. His community housed eighty, and once the males reached a …

Are You Basing Your Self-Worth on Performance?

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We all claim our self-worth is not based on performance. Our personal and professional lives are directed by wanting to do our best, to fulfill a useful purpose. But sometimes we don’t see our own misgivings. We view our self-worth by what we do and how well we do it. Here are a few signs that …

Never Say Never!

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Have you ever said, “That will never happen?” Perhaps it’s something you’ve dreamed of doing or not doing. The situation could be about another person or happening. Before you fall prey to the Never Syndrome, remember the lightbulb, automobile, and television were once laughable concepts. Take a look at the following list of 7 items that …

What Happened to Our Summer?

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills The calendar now says summer is coming to a close. Wasn’t it just spring? What happened to the summer of 2020? Because of the pandemic and the guidelines set into place to protect all of us, our summer expectations probably didn’t happen. Instead, we acquired new skills and faced a new normal. I saw a meme …

What Would You Give Your Family If You Won the Lottery?

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills What would you give your family if you won the lottery? Let’s dream a little about winning a huge amount of money. Do we really know our family? While our aspirations sound noble and unselfish, our intentions may have the potential to reach comedic or nightmarish proportions. My suspense writer’s imagination has just exploded onto the …

The Gift of Grandparenting

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills The privilege of grandparenting is a gift from God. Children who benefit from our unconditional love are knit in the core of our hearts and souls. We may have difficulty expressing the emotions in words, but our actions show the extraordinary link. One reason God established the family is to teach us love, sacrifice, and the …

How to Face-Down a Bear

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Today’s Guest Blog Post Written by Curt Iles @CurtIles I’ve got hiking fever. It strikes me several times a year and I find my heart, if not my feet, on a trail in Arkansas or the Appalachian Mountains. In both of these hiking locales, encountering black bears does occur. I want to share a few good …