Thoughtful Thursdays

Musings on faith, family, & fiction

Time to Vacate
This weekend, my family will drive down to one of our favorite places in the world--Avon, North Carolina, part of the Outer Banks. We'll settle into the oceanfront house we've rented. We'll enjoy long walks on the beach. We'll eat out a few times. We'll bask in the...
Catholicism in My Fiction
Back in 2016, I began writing A Song Unheard. The entire inspiration for this story was the existence of the Belgian Refugee Orchestra—a group of top-tier musicians who had to flee their native Belgium when Germany seized their small country, and who fled to the UK...
43 Things
If you've been hanging out here long with me, you'll know that every year on my birthday, I've taken to writing a list of the corresponding number of "things" from the year I just completed that have really shaped me. Sometimes it's silly products I discovered....
Why It’s Important to Read Widely
Several months ago, I got an email out of the blue, from a book reviewer and columnist for Psychology Today. She wondered if I'd be interested in doing an interview on The Collector of Burned Books that would focus on the importance of exercising our freedom to read...

Though a novelist by trade, one of the trademarks of my books is the spiritual depth and exploration I includes as my characters work through what it really means to walk out their faith. Faith, in fact, is one of the things I like to ponder most. In these once-a-week articles, I gets thoughtful at the crossroads of faith, family, and fiction.

Time to Vacate

Time to Vacate

I’ll be leaving soon for vacation…but let’s look at what “vacation” means to my family.

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Catholicism in My Fiction

Catholicism in My Fiction

Why I will NEVER apologize for characters from historically Catholic nations being Catholic…and why your reviews don’t need to either.

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43 Things

43 Things

Today I turn 43! So here are 43 things that have proven important to me in the last year.

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Rearranged

Rearranged

Rearranging our lives–externally AND internally–can be a challenge…but also a cause for joy.

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One Year

One Year

It’s been a year since I began my cancer treatments. Now I’m done…and reflecting on all I’ve learned and been through.

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How to Have a Conversation: A Primer

How to Have a Conversation: A Primer

The art of conversation is one that humanity developed at the start…and forgets regularly. So let’s take a lighthearted approach to how to talk to people without wanting to bob ’em upside the head.

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Grappling

Grappling

I have a hard time grappling with it when facts don’t bear out something I want to be true. I suspect I’m not alone. So what can we learn from it?

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Canceled

Canceled

Is the correct push-back to ‘cancel culture’ to…cancel it?

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Strength Vs. Power

Strength Vs. Power

So often when we feel helpless, we seek power…but really, what we should be seeking is strength. Let’s examine the difference.

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Not for Us

Not for Us

When God appears, it’s never for the sake of that one person–and always because He’s calling them to help others.

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Just a Few Words

Just a Few Words

All it took for Paul’s conversion were a few words from Jesus. Are our hearts as easily turned toward Him?

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Soft Start

Soft Start

My 2025 is getting off to a soft, slow start…but now that radiation is complete, I’m diving in for real!

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Thoughtful Thursday – My Peace I Leave You

Thoughtful Thursday – My Peace I Leave You

Original post published May 19, 2022 “Peace I leave with you,my peace I give to you.Not as the world givesdo I give it to you.Do not let your hearts be troubled;be not afraid. ~ John 14:27 What is peace? Jesus promises to leave us with it--not just any peace, but His...

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Poets

Poets

When we let Jesus take full possession of our heart, He does amazing things.

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Inspiring

Inspiring

When we let Jesus take full possession of our heart, He does amazing things.

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42 Things

42 Things

Today I turn 42! So here are 42 things that have proven important to me in the last year.

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Happy Endings

Happy Endings

I love stories with happy endings…but sometimes I need the stories with rocky middles too.

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Why?

Why?

“Why?” may be one of the fundamental questions people ask…but it’s only helpful when approached in the right way.

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